Parliament receives motions to lift immunity for 16 MPs

ANKARA

Presidential motions seeking to lift the legislative immunity of 16 lawmakers, including leaders of opposition parties, have been submitted to the parliament’s presidency on Dec. 31.

The motions target figures such as main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel and Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chairs Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları Oruç.

The files have been referred to a joint group composed of members from the parliament’s constitution and justice commissions for review.

Among the deputies listed are CHP members Ali Mahir Başarır and Veli Ağbaba, as well as İYİ (Good) Party lawmakers Turhan Çömez and Mehmet Mustafa Gürban.

DEM Party's Sümeyye Boz Çakı, Gülderen Varlı, Nevroz Uysal Aslan, Mehmet Zeki İrmez, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, Ferit Şenyaşar and Öznur Bartın are also included.

Workers' Party of Türkiye (TİP) lawmaker Ahmet Şık and independent deputy Cemal Enginyurt are named as well.

Özel faces six motions against him, while three motions target Enginyurt and two each are filed against Başarır, Şık and İrmez.

The joint commission will evaluate the cases and draft a report on whether the lawmakers’ immunity should be lifted. The final decision will rest with the parliament's general assembly.