Constitutional Court rejects the application of HDP MP Semra Güzel

* Source: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The Constitutional Court has handed down its decision regarding the application of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel, who appealed against the Parliamentary decision lifting her legislative immunity following a vote at the General Assembly.

The court has rejected Güzel's request for the annulment of the decision of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

In lifting the legislative immunity of the MP, the MPs of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the İYİ Party also voted in favor, in addition to the MPs of the ruling alliance, AKP and MHP.

With her legislative immunity lifted on March 1, 2022, Güzel appealed to the Constitutional Court and demanded the annulment of the two decisions lifting her immunity in line with the two summaries of proceedings.

The General Assembly of the Constitutional Court discussed these two separate decisions today. Merging the two applications, the top court has concluded that the related decisions of the Parliament are not contrary to the Constitution, laws or the Parliamentary By-law. The Constitutional Court has unanimously rejected the application of HDP's Semra Güzel.

About the process

In the event that the Parliament decides to lift the legislative immunity of an MP, the Constitutional Court gives a final ruling on the appeals demanding the annulment of the decision. After the justification of the Constitutional Court's ruling of rejection is written, the process is completed.

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.

The Drafting Commission, a sub-commission of the Parliamentary Joint Commission established to review the summaries of proceedings against Semra Güzel, has issued a report and expressed an opinion in favor of lifting the legislative immunity of the HDP MP.

The legislative immunity of HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel was lifted in a vote taken at the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on March 1, 2022. (EMK/SD)