Parliament to assess summary proceedings for 26 MPs in new legislative term

ANKARA

Summary proceedings against 26 members of the Turkish Parliament, including mostly lawmakers from opposition parties, seeking to lift their immunity was submitted to the office of the parliament speaker on Oct. 7.

Forty-two new summary proceedings were filed against a total of 26 parliamentarians, 31 from 18 Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputies, nine from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), one from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and one from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).  The summaries were delivered to the Constitution-Justice Joint Commission.

Among them are HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan, HDP MP Mensur Işık and CHP Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel.

Meanwhile, parliament on Oct. 7 lifted the legislative immunity of a former lawmaker of the opposition HDP following “qualified sexual assault” and “threat” accusations.     

Tuma Çelik, a lawmaker from the southeastern Mardin province, did not plead any verbal defense in the general assembly. Çelik’s immunity was lifted by a unanimous vote of the AKP, the CHP, the MHP and the HDP.  On July 20, Çelik was expelled from the HDP after the accusations.  He will face prosecution under charges of sexual assault and threat following parliament’s vote.