ANKARA: Turkish government on Tuesday asked lawmakers to lift the prosecutorial immunity of 10 Kurdish politicians who were filmed fraternising with Kurdish rebels in a combat-torn part of the country.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office sent to the head of the National Assembly a demand to open a probe targeting the elected officials for "helping an armed terrorist group", the Anatolia news agency reported.
Nine of the deputies are members of Turkey's main Kurdish BDP party. The 10th is a Kurdish independent.
The officials caused a stir and angered Erdogan when they openly chatted in front of television cameras with members of the PKK rebel group in an area gripped by violence in southeastern Turkey.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union, took up arms in the Kurdish-majority southeast in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives.
BDP vice-president Gultan Kisanak said Erdogan was trying to manipulate public opinion.
"We are fed up of seeing the prime minister change the day's talking points as he sees fit, drumming up controversy," Kisanak said, according to the Anatolia news agency.
The head of the assembly must now send the government's demand to a special commission, which should give an opinion on the matter before parliament votes on it.
The lawmakers could appeal any decision to the Constitutional Court.
"The deputies would not lose their seats if their immunity is lifted. The obstacles to an inquiry and a trial would be removed but that won't affect their legislative activity," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.
Comments
Comments are closed.