10 years demanded for BDP deputies

ISTANBUL

AA photo

The Van Prosecutors’ Office presented a 15-page summary of proceedings to Parliament on Oct. 31 concerning the 10 pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies who met with PKK militants in the eastern province of Hakkari.

The Office seeks to annul the deputies’ parliamentary immunity and sentence them to five to 10 years in jail.

The BDP lawmakers, including co-chair Gültan Kışanak, were seen embracing and warmly chatting with PKK militants near Şemdinli in Hakkari province on Aug. 17.

Meeting with PKK militants

The summary of proceedings was prepared following a two month-long examination of the deputy chief prosecutor. The deputies’ interaction with PKK militants was considered a “meeting” in the summary.
The prosecution asked for permission to open a probe against BDP deputies Adil Kurt, Sebahat Tuncel, Nazmi Gür, Hüsamettin Zenderlioğlu, Halil Aksoy, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Esat Canan, İdris Baluken and an independent deputy from Van Aysel Tuğluk, on charges of “providing help to the PKK and KCK armed terror organizations.”

The government and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have already declared that they will vote to lift the immunity of the 10 deputies if a summary of proceedings is introduced to Parliament.

“The ordinary procedure run for the other summaries of proceedings will be implemented for this summary of proceeding as well,” Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin has said, adding that the summary would first be sent to the Prime Minister’s office and then to Parliament, in line with ordinary procedures. k HDN