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| Turkey's Erdogan lifts lawmakers' immunity, paves way for prosecutions | Turkey's Erdogan lifts lawmakers' immunity, paves way for prosecutions |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Lawmakers in Turkey could now be subject to prosecution after a bill allowing criminal charges to be brought against legislators was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. | Lawmakers in Turkey could now be subject to prosecution after a bill allowing criminal charges to be brought against legislators was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. |
| Earlier in May, the Turkish parliament approved the lifting of lawmakers’ legal immunity in a secret ballot, allowing the bill to go directly to implementation, avoiding a referendum. | Earlier in May, the Turkish parliament approved the lifting of lawmakers’ legal immunity in a secret ballot, allowing the bill to go directly to implementation, avoiding a referendum. |
| The new law which comes amid allegations of freedom of speech violations in Turkey, is apparently aimed at Turkish lawmakers who might be supportive of the Kurds and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), considered to be a terrorist organization by Erdogan's government. | The new law which comes amid allegations of freedom of speech violations in Turkey, is apparently aimed at Turkish lawmakers who might be supportive of the Kurds and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), considered to be a terrorist organization by Erdogan's government. |
| Member of Turkey's opposition, the anti-nationalist People's Democratic Party (HDP) might be among the new bill's targets. | Member of Turkey's opposition, the anti-nationalist People's Democratic Party (HDP) might be among the new bill's targets. |
| "My people do not want legislators who back a separatist terror organization [the PKK] to sit in parliament," Erdogan said at the time of the parliamentary vote, calling the decision to move forward with the bill "historic." | "My people do not want legislators who back a separatist terror organization [the PKK] to sit in parliament," Erdogan said at the time of the parliamentary vote, calling the decision to move forward with the bill "historic." |
| Even though Turkish lawmakers had immunity before the newly-introduced measure, the authorities could still file "dossiers" against them, to be used in possible legal action after their departure from parliament. The vast majority (50 out of 59) of current HDP members in the parliament have had such "dossiers," according to Hurriyet Daily. | Even though Turkish lawmakers had immunity before the newly-introduced measure, the authorities could still file "dossiers" against them, to be used in possible legal action after their departure from parliament. The vast majority (50 out of 59) of current HDP members in the parliament have had such "dossiers," according to Hurriyet Daily. |
| "There is already too much violence in the country. Blocking the parliament and ousting the HDP may get things out of hand," the pro-Kurdish party co-leader Selahattin Demirtas previously told Hurriyet. | "There is already too much violence in the country. Blocking the parliament and ousting the HDP may get things out of hand," the pro-Kurdish party co-leader Selahattin Demirtas previously told Hurriyet. |
| Turkish security forces have been involved in a large-scale military operation in the country's southeast, populated primarily by Kurds. Some 7,600 PKK militants have been killed since July last year, the state leader announced on Tuesday. He added, "we will continue our operations with determination." |