Independent Deputies Refuse to Enter Parliament

The newly elected members of parliament of the pro-Kurdish Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block decided not to enter parliament.

The deputies met in Diyarbakır on Thursday (23 June) to discuss the decision of the Supreme Election Board (YSK) to strip elected MP Hatip Dicle of his deputyship. Dicle is a detained defendant of the case related to the Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK). Also the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is affiliated to the KCK.

After the meeting, the deputies of the block announced that they decided not to enter parliament.

The Independent Member of Parliament of Diyarbakır, Şerafettin Elçi, declared, "The process that was started with the veto of the YSK was carried on uninterrupted with arbitrary arrests and military operations. The last link that blocks the peace process ended in the usurpation of Hatip Dicle's legal rights".

"The ones who claim to have become victims are responsible for this operation themselves. It has clearly emerged that our people will be dealing with this type of operations continuously".

"We are not going to enter parliament until a concrete step at the very point of solving this problem has not been taken. The management of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has to restore the stolen deputyship immediately. We announce the unanimous decision of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block to the public".

Kürkçü: "We are waiting for concrete steps"

Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Independent Deputy of Mersin, said in a statement made to bianet:

"Over-all, the meeting passed in a positive environment. Various questions regarding the decision we were going to take were discussed. A clear stance was taken by the result. Now we are expecting the addressees of this stance to take a step. We do not enter parliament but we keep our position where we are".

Tanrıkulu: "We will do whatever is necessary"

The Istanbul Deputy of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Sezgin Tanrıkulu, commented the decision on dipnot.tv. He said that it was the political choice of the independent Members of Parliament. Tanrıkulu assured that the CHP was ready to do whatever was necessary.

"If this means an amendment of the law or of the constitution; we are ready to do whatever is needed. However, it is the AKP with the majority vote that can do so. This decision [regarding Dicle] is wrong both in terms of politics and the law and it should be corrected as soon as possible". (NV/AS/VK)