Turkiye's Main Opposition Party To Back Bid To Lift Lawmaker's Immunity

Turkiye's main opposition party said on Wednesday that it plans to approve a parliamentary motion to lift the legislative immunity of another party's lawmaker whose photo alongside a PKK terrorist recently emerged.

"We will vote 'Yes' ... so that investigation on this matter can proceed," Ozgur Ozel, the deputy parliamentary group chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), told reporters in parliament.

Referring to the photo of Semra Guzel posing next to a member of the PKK terror group, Ozel said the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker had made a mistake that "is not forgivable." If the motion to lift her immunity passes, she could face terror-related charges.

"We think Semra Guzel's photo that she took in her (terror) organization's clothes with gun in hand within the borders of the Republic of Turkey was not right and is not compatible with her membership in the parliament," he said. "Then, we'll follow the trial."

Photos of Guzel with PKK terrorist Volkan Bora were widely circulated in Turkish media last week.

Bora was neutralized in 2017 by the Turkish armed forces in Turkiye's southeastern Adiyaman province.

A report for the lifting of her immunity has been submitted to the speaker's office, and the joint committee formed by constitution and justice committee lawmakers will debate on it Thursday.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

In a case before Turkiye's highest court, state prosecutors are also seeking the closure of HDP and political bans for its members, saying the party is the public face of the PKK terror group. -