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Pro-Kurdish HDP Co-Chairs subpoenaed for “terrorism propaganda”

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office subpoenaed pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ for testimony on charges of “spreading terrorism propaganda” and “insult.”

Demirtaş confirmed that he was subpoenaed and told the media that he is not planning on testifying to the prosecutor as per a decision his party had earlier made. According to reports there are currently four investigations against Demirtaş.

Other reports said HDP lawmakers Dirayet Taşdemir and Bedran Öztürk were also subpoenaed by an Ankara prosecutor.

A week ago, HDP lawmakers Ahmet Yıldırım and Burcu Çelik Özkan were subpoenaed to a court, however, they did not go to the court.

The moves come shortly after the government’s lift of parliamentary immunities in a way mainly applicable for HDP deputies in practice. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had earlier made clear that the new regulation would be used to prosecute HDP deputies on “terrorism” charges, rather than corruption-linked lawmakers.

The Ministry of Justice has already sent 682 motions against 152 deputies, whose parliamentary immunities were removed, to prosecutors’ offices. It was reported that the motions include accusations against main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahçeli.

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