A presidential motion that advises lifting the legislative impunity of 42 lawmakers has been submitted to the Turkish parliament, Mezopotamya news reported on Monday.
The latest attempt to revoke the immunity of the lawmakers targeted 34 MPs from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), including the deputy head of the HDP’s parliamentary group.
Two MPs from Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) and one MP from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), elected from the HDP list in 2018 polls, are also among those whose impunity is at risk.
The presidential motion will be reviewed by the parliament’s Joint Commission on Constitution and Justice. The motions will be put to vote in the parliament, if the commission prepares a report in favour of lifting the legislative immunities.
In the first half of 2022, some 1,231 motions out of a total 1,691 seeking to revoke the immunity of Turkish MPs targeted members of the pro-Kurdish HDP.
In Turkey, Kurdish politicians are stripped of legislative immunity with parliamentary motions that cite terrorist propaganda, resisting police, unlawful protest and other political activity.