Joint Call from HDP, DTK: Say ‘No’ Against Parliamentary Immunity

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Over 250 institutions have issued a statement led by Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) entitled “Don’t touch people’s will and my voice in Parliament”.

Co-Chairs of the HDK, DTK, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) along with DBP Mayors and representative of the signatory institutions attended the meeting held in Ankara where the declaration was issued.

Turkish version of the declaration was read by HDK Co-Chair and HDP İzmir MP Ertuğrul Kürkçü, and the Kurdish version by DTK Co-Chair Leyla Güven.

In the joint declaration, call has been made for the MPs to vote ‘no’ against amendment proposal.

The declaration briefly stated the following:

“We have serious worries”

“We have serious worries as to constitutional amendment about the parliamentary immunity legislation meetings launched in parliament.

“Legislative immunity first of all must be a democratic right aiming to guarantee politicians’ right to speak their mind. This right doesn’t only belong to MPs but belongs to people sending the MPs to parliament more than the MPs. After all, the MPs are obliged to reflect the will of the groups they represent”.

“Explicit intervention in people’s will”

“Investigation, detention or arrest of the MPs during or after their activities of expressing opinion they carry out as by force of political struggle will above all be an explicit intervention in people’s will. Within this frame; we see turning immunity debates into a tool of political revenge and political punishment as a dangerous progress”.

Legislation

“On the other hand, any regulation to pave the way for legislative intervention in opposition MPs at a time in which higher judicial bodies express their worries and hesitations as to independence and impartiality of judicial independence will give birth to serious problems. It will be entered a new phase in designing the society via legislation.

“We are also worried that this constitutional amendment targeting HDP MPs might completely end political solution searches in Kurdish question evolving to armed conflict again”.

Call for MPs

“We demand this proposal be retracted which might pave the way for all alienated groups finding their representation in the HDP to be expelled from the parliament”. (HK/TK)