12 summaries of proceedings seek to lift 10 MPs' legislative immunity

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The 12 summaries of proceedings seeking to lift the legislative immunity of nine Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs and one Democratic Regions Party (DBP) MP were referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Constitution today (January 26).

The 10 MPs who have recently faced summaries of proceedings and the number of proceedings are as follows:

• HDP Siirt MP Sıdık Taş (1)
• HDP Iğdır MP Habip Eksik (1)
• HDP Batman MP Ayşe Acar Başaran (1)
• HDP Muş MP Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit (1)
• HDP Şanlıurfa MP Nusrettin Maçin (1)
• HDP Şırnak MP Nuran İmir (1)
• HDP Şırnak MP Hüseyin Kaçmaz (1)
• HDP Mardin MP Ebru Günay (1)
• HDP Diyarbakır MP Remziye Tosun (1)
• DBP Diyarbakır MP Salihe Aydeniz (1)

62 files since the beginning of 2022

When the summaries of proceedings delivered to the Parliament since the beginning of 2022 are concerned, it is seen the 40 were received by the Parliament on January 4, 10 were received on January 10 and 12 summaries of proceedings were received today.

Taken together with the last 12 files, 36 MPs (1 DBP MP; 1 main opposition Republican People's Party / CHP MP; 1 independent MP; 2 Workers' Party of Turkey / TİP MPs; and 31 HDP MPs) face summaries of proceedings seeking to lift their legislative immunity.

The MPs and the number of summaries are as follows:

• CHP İstanbul MP Mustafa Sezgin Tanrıkulu (1)
• TİP Hatay MP Barış Atay Mengüllüoğlu (1)
• TİP İstanbul MP Ahmet Şık (1)
• DBP Diyarbakır MP Salihe Aydeniz (4)
• Independent Muş MP Mensur Işık (1)
• HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan (2)
• HDP Iğdır MP Habip Eksik (2)
• HDP İstanbul MP Hakkı Saruhan Oluç (1)
• HDP İstanbul MP Dilşat Canbaz Kaya (1)
• HDP İstanbul MP Oya Ersoy (1)
• HDP İstanbul MP Hüda Kaya (1)
• HDP Siirt MP Meral Danış Beştaş (2)
• HDP Van MP Murat Sarısaç (5)
• HDP Van MP Tayip Temel (3)
• HDP Van MP Muazzez Orhan Işık (2)
• HDP Van MP Sezai Temelli (2)
• HDP Ağrı MP Berdan Öztürk (3)
• HDP Diyarbakır MP İmam Taşçıer (1)
• HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel (1)
• HDP Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan (1)
• HDP Şırnak MP Nuran İmir (3)
• HDP Şırnak MP Hüseyin Kaçmaz (3)
• HDP Muş MP Şevin Coşkun (1)
• HDP Şanlıurfa MP Ayşe Sürücü (3)
• HDP İzmir MP Murat Çepni (1)
• HDP Ağrı MP Abdullah Koç (1)
• HDP Ağrı MP Dirayet Dilan Taşdemir (1)
• HDP Batman MP Necdet İpekyüz (1)
• HDP Adana MP Tülay Hatimoğulları Oruç (1)
• HDP Diyarbakır MP Dersim Dağ (1)
• HDP Diyarbakır MP Remziye Tosun (2)
• HDP Mardin MP Ebru Günay (2)
• HDP Siirt MP Sıdık Taş (1)
• HDP Batman MP Ayşe Acar Başaran (1)
• HDP Muş MP Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit (1)
• HDP Şanlıurfa MP Nusrettin Maçin (1)

The process of lifting legislative immunity

Prosecutors send summaries of proceedings against MPs who face charges to the Ministry of Justice. The ministry sends the filings to the Presidency and it refers them to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Constitution and Justice. If the committee decides to put the summaries on its agenda, a drafting committee will be set up for each file. The joint committee has one month to discuss decisions of drafting committees.

If the committee votes for the lift of immunities, the summaries of proceedings will be sent to the parliament's General Assembly. MPs whose immunities are sought to be lifted will testify before the Parliament. A simple majority of votes is required for the lift of the immunity of an MP.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have a majority in both the committee and the General Assembly of the Parliament. (TP/SD)