Summary of proceedings against HDP co-chairs sent to ministry

DİYARBAKIR

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A summary of proceedings against five opposition lawmakers, including the co-chairs of the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has been sent to the Justice Ministry, the state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office prepared a summary of proceedings against HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, as well as HDP deputies Selma Irmak, Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Ertuğrul Kürkçü, and sent it to the Justice Ministry.

Probes against the five lawmakers were launched over crimes against the constitutional order after they attended a meeting of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) in southeastern Diyarbakır province between Dec. 26 and 27, 2015.

The establishment of “democratic autonomous regions” was presented as a solution to the Kurdish problem during the meetings in Diyarbakır.

The attendees also asked for “self-governance” and embraced the “legitimate insurgency” in a number of southeastern districts, while also urging the people of Turkey to support their cause. 

The grounds for the investigations were laid out as “making terrorism propaganda,” “inciting a crime” and “encouraging sedition,” in addition to violating Article 302 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) by “disrupting the unity and territorial integrity of the state.”

When a probe is launched against lawmakers, a summary of the proceedings needs to be prepared to lift their immunities in order to begin a trial process.