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| Turkish committee passes measure to strip MPs' legal immunity | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Punches were thrown and water bottles were hurled, but a Turkish parliamentary committee has approved a contentious ruling-party proposal to strip legislators of their immunity from prosecution. | Punches were thrown and water bottles were hurled, but a Turkish parliamentary committee has approved a contentious ruling-party proposal to strip legislators of their immunity from prosecution. |
| The proposed constitutional amendment, which could pave the way for the trial of several pro-Kurdish legislators on terror-related charges, was cleared by the committee late on Monday. | The proposed constitutional amendment, which could pave the way for the trial of several pro-Kurdish legislators on terror-related charges, was cleared by the committee late on Monday. |
| Pro-Kurdish party lawmakers walked out of the meeting following the brawl, which left one legislator with a dislocated shoulder and a second with a bloodied nose. | Pro-Kurdish party lawmakers walked out of the meeting following the brawl, which left one legislator with a dislocated shoulder and a second with a bloodied nose. |
| Video filmed by legislators inside the committee room showed lawmakers throwing water bottles at each other and engaging in fistfights. One legislator jumped into the fight from a table top and another was seen kicking an opponent. | Video filmed by legislators inside the committee room showed lawmakers throwing water bottles at each other and engaging in fistfights. One legislator jumped into the fight from a table top and another was seen kicking an opponent. |
| Pro-Kurdish legislator Mithat Sancar was heard saying the party “would not be part of this theatre that is being staged”, before he and his colleagues left the meeting. | Pro-Kurdish legislator Mithat Sancar was heard saying the party “would not be part of this theatre that is being staged”, before he and his colleagues left the meeting. |
| The amendment, which still needs to be approved by the full assembly, was proposed by the ruling party after Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accused the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic party (HDP) of being an arm of outlawed Kurdish rebels and repeatedly called for their prosecution. | The amendment, which still needs to be approved by the full assembly, was proposed by the ruling party after Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accused the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic party (HDP) of being an arm of outlawed Kurdish rebels and repeatedly called for their prosecution. |
| The move comes amid a surge of violence in Turkey’s south-east after a fragile, more than two-year-old peace process with the rebels collapsed. Hundreds of people, including close to 400 security force members, have died in the renewed fighting, which has also displaced tens of thousands of people and left some towns and districts in ruins. | The move comes amid a surge of violence in Turkey’s south-east after a fragile, more than two-year-old peace process with the rebels collapsed. Hundreds of people, including close to 400 security force members, have died in the renewed fighting, which has also displaced tens of thousands of people and left some towns and districts in ruins. |
| The HDP, which backs Kurdish and other minority rights, denies accusations that it is the political arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK). It has called on the government to end security forces’ operations in the south-east to resume peace efforts. The PKK is considered a terror organisation by Turkey and its western allies. | The HDP, which backs Kurdish and other minority rights, denies accusations that it is the political arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK). It has called on the government to end security forces’ operations in the south-east to resume peace efforts. The PKK is considered a terror organisation by Turkey and its western allies. |
| Although the measure would lift the legal immunities of all lawmakers who have legal cases pending against them, critics say the proposed amendment particularly aims to oust HDP legislators from parliament. The party’s two co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, face possible prosecution for making statements last year in support of calls for Kurdish self-rule in south-eastern Turkey. | Although the measure would lift the legal immunities of all lawmakers who have legal cases pending against them, critics say the proposed amendment particularly aims to oust HDP legislators from parliament. The party’s two co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, face possible prosecution for making statements last year in support of calls for Kurdish self-rule in south-eastern Turkey. |