HDP’s MP Gergerlioğlu stripped of deputyship

Pro Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party's Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's MP status was removed on March 17 after the decision regarding the approval of his prison sentence was read in the Turkish parliament.
Thursday, 18 March 2021 10:04

The verdict on Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli Deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, whose prison sentence was upheld on the grounds of his social media posts, was read in the Parliament today and Gergerlioğlu's deputyship was removed.

Gergerlioğlu said, "A coup to the Parliament is not just about throwing a bomb. Trying to push a MP out of the parliament, who has won the votes of 90 thousand people, is a coup to this parliament. I will resist this coup.”

Protest in the parliament

The decision regarding the removal of Gergerlioğlu's deputyship was read in the Parliament. As the decision was being read, voices of protest rose inside.

Stating that the decision in question is unlawful, Gergerlioğlu said he would resist and that it is certain the decision will return from the Constitutional Court.

Former AKP deputy Abdürrahim Aksoy shouted from the press box "Down with the autocracy" and protested the removal of Gergerlioğlu's deputyship. Upon the protest of Aksoy, who was learned to be a member of the Deva Party Founders' Board, the General Assembly was suspended.

Slogans chanted: “Putschist AKP”

Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Deputy Chairmen Celal Adan warned HDP member Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, who was removed as a deputy, to leave the General Assembly and paused the meeting for 10 minutes. After Adan's call, HDP members chanted "putschist AKP”.

After Gergerlioğlu's deputyship was removed, HDP MPs protested the decision by going up to the assembly lectern.

AKP's Özalan tried to get Gergerlioğlu out

Justice and Development Party (AKP) İzmir Deputy and Parliamentary Executive Chief Alpay Özalan asked Gergerlioğlu to leave the Parliament after the decision and tried to get him out. Other members of the parliament intervened upon Özalan's attempt.

Entrance and exit to the parliament were closed

Following the decision, HDP MPs started a sit-in with Gergerlioğlu at the General Assembly. After the closure case against HDP, the entrance and exit of the General Assembly were closed. Gergerlioğlu is at the General Assembly with a group of HDP MPs. Journalists are kept in the press office.

What happened?

HDP Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for "doing propaganda for a terrorist organization" on the grounds of his social media posts before his election.

The imprisonment sentence in question was upheld by the 16th Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals in February and the file was sent to the Parliament.

It is stated that Gergerlioğlu will remain in prison for one year after his deputyship has been removed.

TKP releases a statement

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) made a statement regarding the removal of HDP Kocaeli Deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu’s deputyship.

In the statement made on its social media account, TKP stated, "A government that is desperate and uncontrolled enough to remove the representation of a deputy by inventing a 'crime' that is not a crime and citing a single post as the reason will surely come down.”