Semra Güzel of HDP stripped of MP status

Photo: Birgün

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People's Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel was stripped of her MP status in the voting made in the general assembly of the parliament today (December 22) in Ankara.

372 votes were cast and 330 voted for, and 42 against.

MP's from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supporting the Erdoğan government and the İyi (Good) Party voted for stripping of MP status of Güzel.

HDP co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar also participated in the voting. HDP MP's protested the voting holding signs that read "Semra Güzel is the will of the people." 

What happened?

On January 8, Güzel's photos with Volkan Bora, a PKK member who was killed in 2017, were published by pro-government media outlets.

On January 10, the Ministry of Justice sent a summary of proceedings against the MP to the Presidency, which sent it to the parliament on January 12.

Discussions about lifting Güzel's immunity began on January 20. The Preparatory Commission submitted its opinion for the lift of immunity to the Joint Commission on February 8.

The Joint Commission convened on February 17. Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, a HDP deputy and a commission member, defended Güzel at the session.

The commission accepted the decision for the lift of Güzel's immunity with the votes of the members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and its ally İYİ (Good) Party.

The General Assembly of the Parliament on March 1 stripped legislative immunity from Güzel with 313 "yes" and 52 "no" votes.

The summaries of proceedings were also submitted to the HDP closure case as additional evidence. (RT/PE/VK)