AKP sues HDP MP Ahmet Şık for ‘insulting’ ruling party MPs

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has filed a lawsuit against Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Ahmet Şık for “insulting” the party during a speech he delivered on July 23 when parliament discussed a contentious anti-terror bill.

The AKP is seeking a compensation of 100,000 Turkish Liras ($27, 580) from Şık.

The AKP’s lawyers, Burhanettin Sevencan and Muammer Cemaloğlu, argued in a lawsuit petition that Şık’s speech was out of context and was not related to the bill discussed in parliament.

“Şık made illogical, unconscionable and totally false acquisitions against the AKP,” the lawyers said in the petition.

“His statements included elements amounting to gross insult,” they added, citing extracts from Şık’s speech.

“His accusations directed at the AKP were totally ungrounded and he incited hatred and animosity in public through those accusations,” the lawyers argued.

Şık’s speech stirred a debate between ruling and opposition lawmakers, leading him to be excluded from two consecutive sessions on the ground of “insulting lawmakers.”

Şık fiercely criticized the bill stating the articles were the continuation of the state of emergency rule, accusing the ruling party of pursuing its interests by abusing democratic powers, in a bid to “root and institutionalize its oppressive regime.”

After Şık accused AKP officials of being “immoral,” AKP deputy parliamentary group chair Mustafa Elitaş interrupted him and banned him from entering two sessions.