Kılıçdaroğlu urges release of imprisoned MP

ISTANBUL

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has paid a visit to lawyer Can Atalay, who was elected as a Hatay deputy from the Workers' Party of Türkiye (TİP) lists but remains incarcerated after being sentenced to 18 years in prison over the 2013 Gezi Park protests.

"The main reason we came here is to announce the will of the parliament to the public. No one can keep an un-convicted MP in prison by excluding the will of the parliament," Kılıçdaroğlu told the media following his visit at Marmara Prison.

Accompanied by CHP Istanbul head Canan Kaftancıoğlu, vice-chair Zeynel Emre and group vice-chair Ali Mahir Başarır, Kılıçdaroğlu also called on Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş to take action and urged him to contact the Justice Ministry regarding similar precedents.

Atalay was arrested for "aiding the crime of attempting to overthrow the Republic of Türkiye" on April 25, 2022. However, his sentence has yet to be finalized in the top appeals court. Despite being elected as a lawmaker in the May 14 elections and receiving a parliamentary mandate, Atalay remains behind bars.

Kılıçdaroğlu expressed his frustration with the current situation, highlighting the approval of Atalay's candidacy by 11 judges of the Supreme Election Board (YSK) who reviewed his criminal record. "What kind of practice is this? What kind of judiciary is this? What kind of democracy is this?" he questioned.