20.06.2026 19:40
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who said he 'does not regret' the lifting of immunity of former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, made a new statement following the backlash. 'We said "Yes" at that time to break this perception operation and political trap set by the government, and to show that all MPs are not afraid of any crime,' Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding, 'I want you to know that I will fully defend the rights of every member of this nation who has been unjustly imprisoned.'
Returning to the chair of the CHP General Chairmanship with the ‘absolute nullity’ decision from the court, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu answered journalists' questions on television for the first time after a year.
HE RESPONDED TO THE ‘IMMUNITY’ QUESTION: I AM NOT REGRETFUL ABOUT DEMİRTAŞ
In response to a question about how his close deputies would behave if potential reports concerning deputies close to Özgür Özel's administration were brought to the Parliament, Kılıçdaroğlu said, 'Personally, if such an allegation is made about me, I would demand the lifting of my immunity.'
When reminded that former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş was arrested after supporting the lifting of immunities in the past, Kılıçdaroğlu responded to the question 'Are you regretful?' by saying, 'No. Your party has made a decision at the congress regarding the lifting of immunities. You cannot oppose that. Was Mr. Selahattin arrested? That is wrong. I have said this everywhere. You may or may not agree with his political views, but I have always opposed the arrest of a person because of their thoughts.'
HE MADE ANOTHER STATEMENT FOLLOWING REACTIONS
However, after reactions to his statements, Kılıçdaroğlu made another statement on social media regarding the issue.
Arguing that the process is being distorted with false information, Kılıçdaroğlu defended the 2016 decision, using the following expressions: 'The process of lifting immunities, our legal struggle, and the truths that are being distorted with false information;
Recently, in the face of unfair criticisms and attempts to create perceptions based on the past process of lifting parliamentary immunities, it has become mandatory to share the facts with our people with the same clarity as the first day.
As a politician who currently has no immunity, is being tried in many cases filed by Erdoğan facing decades of imprisonment, and has been convicted in some, I repeat: I do not find any immunity correct except for parliamentary immunity.
The fact that our 22nd term deputies and candidates declared before a notary that they would not benefit from the immunity privilege granted to them is also an indicator of our perspective on the issue.
"TO BREAK THIS PERCEPTION OPERATION AND THE POLITICAL TRAP SET BY THE GOVERNMENT, WE SAID 'YES' AT THAT TIME"
In the process of lifting immunities in 2016, the AKP wanted to make constitutional changes through a referendum. This was an intention to cast a nightmare over the country. We bit the bullet, took risks; we prevented this nightmare and the dangerous polarization of the country.
Our numerical majority only allowed this. Our deputy colleagues from that period are witnesses to every step.
We said 'Yes' at that time to break this perception operation and the political trap set by the government, to show that all deputies have no fear of any crime.
This decision, contrary to what is claimed, was not a political sin or surrender; it was a move to take the biggest propaganda weapon out of the government's hands.
Moreover, according to the constitutional and legal process at the time, a politician whose immunity was lifted should be tried without detention, and after the trial, if a sentence was finalized, action should be taken. However, the government violated the legal process and universal legal principles by using the judiciary like a baton; they hastily detained and arrested deputies.
The one to be blamed here is not the opposition, but the Palace regime that massacred the law.
"WE HAVE RAISED THE LOUDEST VOICE SINCE DAY ONE AGAINST THE UNJUST DETENTION OF DEMİRTAŞ AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS"
One of the people who best know the background, legal dimension, and political climate of that day is Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş. Since day one, we have raised the loudest voice against the unjust and unlawful detention of Mr. Demirtaş and all political prisoners in prison; we have always fought on the front lines in squares, in parliamentary podiums, and in the Justice March for the implementation of European Court of Human Rights decisions and the freedom of Demirtaş.
In this context, at the point we have reached today, the attitudes of some people who both ignore this great legal struggle and sit at the negotiation table with the Erdoğan administration behind the scenes, claiming to be so-called comrades of Mr. Demirtaş, are a complete inconsistency.
While we stayed within the legal framework by breaking the traps set in the past, politicians and journalists who process the immunity issue, one of Erdoğan's games to divide the opposition, with false and incorrect information in the public are serving the government, knowingly or unknowingly.
We have neither sin against our people nor have we deviated an inch from our Justice March! Just as yesterday, today too, without compromising our principled stance; we are determined to fight both the Palace regime and those who try to weaken democratic opposition by cooperating with it.
"I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL PURSUE RIGHTS TO THE END"
I declare once again from here:
I want you to know that I will pursue the rights of Mr. Demirtaş, Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Can Atalay, Gezi detainees, all our unjustly detained mayors, and every member of this nation to the end.
Until there is not a single injustice or a single oppressed person in this country, we will stubbornly and resolutely continue to demand justice for everyone, law for everyone!"