Parliamentary commission decides to revoke immunity of HDP’s Güzel

ANKARA

The Parliamentary Drafting Commission on Feb. 3 decided to lift Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP Semra Güzel’s legislative immunity by a majority of votes. The commission will present its report to the Constitutional Justice Joint Committee next week.

The Drafting Commission, which was formed by the members of the Parliamentary Constitution-Justice Joint Commission, convened on Feb. 3 under the chairmanship of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Ramazan Can.

At the meeting, the summaries of proceeding for the lifting of Güzel’s parliamentary immunity, the oral defense of the MP and evidence were examined.

HDP Ankara deputy Filiz Kerestecioğlu, who defended on behalf of Güzel, was summoned to the last meeting of the commission once again.

Making her defense through Kerestecioğlu, Güzel stated that the photos were taken during the peace process, that she was friends with PKK terrorist Volkan Bora during his university years, and that they made a promise with the family as a result of emotional intimacy.

Except for HDP Mehmet Tiryaki of the commission, the decision was made to lift Güzel’s immunity with the votes of three AKP and one CHP lawmaker.

The Justice Ministry launched the procedure for a summary of proceedings for Güzel, a lawmaker from the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, after her photos together with a PKK terrorist, who was killed during an operation, was emerged. PKK terrorist Volkan Bora was killed in an operation in April 2017 in the southeastern province of Mardin. As part of an investigation, security forces examined Bora’s cellular phone and found pictures taken in a PKK camp in northern Iraq, which showed Bora and Güzel together.