CHP deputy probed over remarks on Turkish army

ANKARA

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has initiated an investigation into main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, following his televised comments critical of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

A statement released by the prosecutor's office announced that the investigation has been launched on the grounds of "insulting the Turkish nation, the state of the Turkish Republic, the institutions and organs of the state," as well as "inciting the public to hatred and hostility or humiliation."

Tanrıkulu's remarks were made during a live broadcast on TV100 on Sept. 8, where he stated, "Everything the TSK does is not free from criticism. We are members of parliament, and we question them."

"Isn't this the TSK, which carried out the fascist coup on Sept. 12 [1980]? Isn't this the army that attempted the coup on July 15 [2016], burning villages... Dozens of unsolved murders. There are cases that I follow. Isn't it the TSK that threw 15 villagers out of a helicopter, which has been confirmed by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights?" the deputy added. 

Following the launch of the investigation, Tanrıkulu took to his social media account to refer to two cases, saying: "The first one is the decision regarding how 11 villagers were made to disappear in a village in Diyarbakır's Kulp district in October 1993."

"The second case is the ECHR decision regarding the bombing of Şırnak's Kuşkonar and Koçağıllı villages with warplanes and the killing of 33 villagers. These are not my judgments, but the ECHR decisions," he added.

In response to Tanrıkulu's comments, the Defense Ministry issued a statement, describing his words as "slander" and, without mentioning Tanrıkulu by name, stated, "Those who make these slanders and use them, to say the least, are heedless and [rely on] heresy."

CHP spokesperson Faik Öztrak also expressed his views on social media, stating that Tanrıkulu's statements that "incriminate the Turkish Armed Forces, the apple of our nation's eye," are unacceptable. Öztrak noted that the matter will be discussed in the authorized organs of the party.