‘MPs are Voices of Nation, They Cannot Be Silenced’

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Four non-governmental organizations, namely the Unity for Democracy (DİB), Dialogue Group, Right and Justice Platform and Citizen Initiative have released a joint statement regarding the investigation launched against İstanbul MP of the Felicity Party (SP) Nazır Cihangir İslam.

An investigation was launched against İslam on November 2 on the charges of "degrading the state of the Republic of Turkey, the organs and institutions of the state" and "praising the crime and the criminal" after his speech at the parliament, some parts of which he also shared on Twitter.

CLICK - Investigation Against MP Cihangir İslam

The statement has emphasized that while launching an investigation due to a speech violates the Constitution and the chair immunity, which is a legal right, launching an investigation in relation with a Twitter post is a violation of the Article no. 83/1 of the Constitution.

"A move of intimidation targeting opposition"

In the joint statement, it has been indicated,

"The intolerance shown towards a critical speech at the Parliament is not only a new assault directed to democracy and the Parliament, but it also reveals the real face of the regime.

"On the other side, the attempted lynch of the Esteemed MP by the circles close to the government is a move of intimidation targeting not only the MP himself, but also the opposition as a whole.

"We are stating that we are on the side of Felicity Party MP Cihangir İslam and making a call for support to the whole opposition as well as everyone who calls themselves a democrat and takes the side of right and justice."

Parliament speech of Cihangir İslam

In his speech at the parliament on October 31, İslam stated that "Justice and Development Party (AKP) eliminated Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) after July 15, 2016 (coup attempt) and Republican People's Party (CHP) in the Presidential referendum process" and added, "AKP is now standing side by side with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) because of necessity."

İslam continued, "You do not appreciate the value of any political actor, you are politically ungrateful. July 15 is a pretext, you are purging all of your dissidents and the ones who say what is just and your cruelties in your face. You are inflicting cruelty, you are cruel. You do not serve Allah, but serve an incapable subject of Allah. People are cursing you. People say to you, "May they perish, may they become extinct, may Allah plague them.'"

About Nazır Cihangir İslam

Nazır Cihangir İslam signed the declaration released in solidarity with the Academics for Peace who signed the declaration entitled "We will not be a party to this crime" and was discharged from Kafkas University Medical School as per the Statutory Decree no. 686.

Having graduated from the Medical School of Ankara University in 1983, İslam was also among the founders of the Felicity Party (SP) and Has (Pure) Party. İslam was also the doctor of CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu during his Justice March in 2017. (TP/SD)