Parliamentary Commission convenes for HDP MP Semra Güzel

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The Parliamentary Drafting Commission established to review the two summaries of proceedings seeking to lift Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel's legislative immunity convened for the third time in the capital city of Ankara yesterday (February 2).

Consisting of the Joint Parliamentary Commission on Constitution and Justice members, the Drafting Commission was established on January 20, 2022; Justice and Development Party (AKP) MPs Ramazan Can, Abdullah Güler and Zeynep Gülyılmaz, Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Rafet Zeybek and HDP MP Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki were elected to the Commission.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), HDP Ankara MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu was to make defense in place of Semra Güzel at the Commission. While press members were allowed to take pictures and videos before the session began, Kerestecioğlu made defense afterwards.

'This is not the first time'

Following the defense for nearly 1.5 hours, Kerestecioğlu left the Commission hall and answered the questions of journalists.

Kerestecioğlu briefly said:

"This is a political trial and this process is not only about Semra Güzel. What has been happening since Leyla Zana is not any different. Anonymous witness is not lawful, it needs to be lifted.

"If it is a crime that an incident which happened during the resolution process [for the Kurdish question], which happened while the officials of the whole state and journalists were there, Semra Güzel reached out to a beloved person, it must be [considered] a crime for everyone. This is not the first time, but we are watching history repeat itself."

Afterwards, the Commission's session continued closed to the press. The Commission will convene again at 2 pm today (February 3).

The report to be issued by the Drafting Commission will reportedly be completed until Friday. The report will then be discussed by the Parliamentary Joint Commission on Constitution and Justice.

What happened?

The pictures of HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel with Volkan Bora, who was killed in an airstrike of the Turkish Armed Forces in 2017, have recently been revealed. Semra Güzel has said that Bora was his "fiance" and the picture was "taken during the resolution process".

After the pictures were published and broadcasted by pro-government media outlets, AKP Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We have swiftly sent this to the joint commission. The necessary will be done. We don't want to see such people at the Parliament."

Saying that she was not affiliated with any political party when the pictures were taken, Güzel has asked why no investigation has been launched so far into the pictures found on Volkan Bora. She has argued that the pictures taken 5 years ago are used as a "plot" against her.

A summary of proceedings has been issued against Güzel to lift her legislative immunity and sent to the Joint Parliamentary Commission.

Before the Joint Commission convened on January 20, 2022, İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener and main opposition CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel announced that they would vote in favor of the summary of proceedings against Semra Güzel. (EMK/SD)