Turkey: Hdp Co-Chairwoman's İmmunity Challenged

A provincial prosecutor's office in eastern Turkey has called for lifting the parliamentary immunity of a pro-Kurdish female lawmaker for allegedly making remarks in favor of Syrian Kurdish groups.



The Sanliurfa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday that a file demanding the lifting of parliamentary immunity for Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairwoman Figen Yuksekdag had been prepared on charges of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization".



On July 19, Yuksekdag reportedly made some controversial remarks following the recent bombing in eastern Suruc town that killed 32 activists in a suspected Daesh attack.



She allegedly made references to the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is affiliated with the Turkey-based outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). She also reportedly mentioned the Syrian Kurdish militant groups, People's Defense Units (YPG) and Women's Defense Unit (YPJ).



"We lean our back on YPG, YPJ, and PYD, and we do not see any harm in mentioning or defending it," Yuksekdag allegedly said after she visited the Syrian town of Kobani just across the border from Turkey's Suruc district.



The prosecutor's office added that a summary of proceedings against the lawmaker would be sent to the Justice Ministry's General Directorate of Penal Affairs, which would then submit it to the Turkish Parliament Speaker's Office.



The Turkish parliament is currently on a break and is expected to reconvene on October 1.



Selahattin Demirtas, who co-chairs the HDP with Yuksekdag, also faces an inquiry from prosecutors for alleged incitement stemming from his remarks made before a wave of riots across Turkey in October last year. HDP's opponents have called for stripping Demirtas of his parliamentary immunity over separate claims.



There is also another file against HDP deputy Faysal Sariyildiz on charges of "supplying arms to the terrorist organization" and calls have also been made to take away his immunity as well.



On Thursday, HDP filed a motion in the parliament for lifting the immunity of all its 80 deputies.



The HDP entered the Turkish parliament for the first time after the June 7 general election, securing 13 percent votes.



Turkey has been hit by a wave of attacks since the Suruc bombing on July 20, with more than a dozen security force members killed and more than 1,300 people suspected of links to outlawed groups PKK, Daesh and DHKP-C arrested across the country.



PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, EU and the U.S. - Ankara