ANKARA - The Parliamentary Preparatory Committee decided to 'lift the immunity' of DBP Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz.

 

The Preparatory Committee meeting, which was formed by the Parliamentary Constitution and Justice Committee, to lift the immunity of Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz has ended. The meeting, which lasted about 2 hours, continued under the leadership of AKP's Ali Özkaya. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Abdullah Koç, Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Rafet Zeybek and AKP MPs Emine Zeybek and Orhan Kırcalı attended the meeting.

 

'IT IS UNLAWFUL'

 

Making a defense for about an hour at the meeting, HDP's Abdullah Koç reminded the Constitutional Court (AYM) decisions and local court decisions in cases brought on the grounds of "Opposing the law on meetings and demonstrations No. 2911". Stating that the attitude towards Aydeniz is political and that her parliamentary immunity should not be lifted, Koç said: “The files did not include footage that shows the ill-treatment against our MP. The right to meetings and demonstration was shelved. The decisions of the Constitutional Court and the ECHR were ignored. We have seen that democracy has been shelved once again in Turkey, that the parliamentary immunity does not exist when it comes to the HDP. We will continue our struggle. We will continue to state that the existing practices are illegal.”

 

DISSENTIVE VOTE FROM CHP

 

Rafet Zeybek, who took the floor on behalf of the CHP, stated that the immunity should not be lifted and voted against it.

 

After the meeting held in the commission, two dissentive votes were cast against the votes of 3 AKP MPs. A report was prepared to lift Aydeniz's immunity with the votes of AKP MPs.

 

The CHP and HDP, which voted against the lifting of Aydeniz's immunity, were given a deadline until July 18 to submit their dissenting opinions.

 

WHAT COMES NEXT?

 

The Preparatory Commission, together with the dissenting opinions, will present the report to the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission will meet on the designated day and discuss the report. During the report negotiations, a defense will be taken again from Aydeniz or one of the MPs she has appointed. If a decision is to be made in the Joint Commission to lift Aydeniz's immunity, the process will be brought before the Plenary session.