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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/20/turkish-mps-vote-lifting-immunity-from-prosecution
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Turkish parliament votes to lift MPs' immunity from prosecution | Turkish parliament votes to lift MPs' immunity from prosecution |
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Turkey’s parliament has approved a bill to amend the constitution to strip MPs of immunity from prosecution, a move that paves the way for the trials of pro-Kurdish and other opposition legislators. | Turkey’s parliament has approved a bill to amend the constitution to strip MPs of immunity from prosecution, a move that paves the way for the trials of pro-Kurdish and other opposition legislators. |
A total of 376 deputies in the 550-seat assembly voted in favour of the government-backed bill, which was enough to avoid a referendum. It now needs to be ratified by the president. | A total of 376 deputies in the 550-seat assembly voted in favour of the government-backed bill, which was enough to avoid a referendum. It now needs to be ratified by the president. |
The amendment was proposed by the Justice and Development party after the president accused the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic party (HDP) of being an arm of outlawed Kurdish rebels and repeatedly called for their prosecution on terror-related charges. It puts 138 politicians, the vast majority of them from two opposition parties, at risk of prosecution. | |
Related: Turkish opposition leader speaks out as MPs debate legal immunity law | Related: Turkish opposition leader speaks out as MPs debate legal immunity law |
Speaking in the Black Sea town of Rize moments before the final round of voting, the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, expressed hope for a favourable outcome, saying: “My people don’t want to see criminal deputies in parliament.” | |
The decision coincides with a wave of violence in Turkey’s south-east following the collapse of a more-than-two-year peace process between the state and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s party (PKK). | |
The HDP, which backs Kurdish and other minority rights, denies accusations that it is the political arm of the PKK, considered a terrorist group by Ankara and its allies. The party has urged the government to end security operations in the south-east and to resume peace efforts. |