Turkey's court adjourns trial of HDP co-chairman to Feb 14

A Turkish court on Thursday adjourned the trial of co-chairman of an opposition party leader.

Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), went on trial in Ankara on charges of links to the PKK terrorist organisation.

Demirtas was not present as trial got under way at the Sincan prison complex in Ankara province. The judge said he refused to appear via video link.

He is held in a jail in the northwestern city of Edirne. The case was to be held within the city of Ankara itself but was moved to the Sincan prison complex outside the capital, two days before the trial opening, because of security concerns.

The court ruled he had to stay in jail and set the date for the next hearing as February 14.

Demirtas, was arrested on November 4 last year for allegedly failing to cooperate in a counterterrorism investigation.

Ankara has accused the HDP of having links to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the EU.

The HDP denies the accusation.

After the PKK resumed its armed campaign against Turkey that followed an almost two-year-long pause in hostilities in July 2015, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including many women and children.