The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has demanded the revocation of the immunity from prosecution of 15 deputies from opposition parties on accusations of disseminating terrorist propaganda and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Artı Gerçek news website reported.
The prosecutor’s demand was sent to the Justice Ministry for submission to the Parliament Speaker’s Office.
If the parliament votes to revoke the deputies’ immunity, they can be arrested by local courts.
Among the 15 deputies, 12 of them are from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), who were the subject of prosecution for disseminating terrorist propaganda due to their criticism of the Turkish army offensive in the north Syrian town of Afrin.
Afrin was previously run by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a militia that is considered by Turkish authorities to be affiliated with the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The other three are from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), whose remarks were considered insults of President Erdoğan.
Thousands of Turkish citizens, including former deputies, have been punished by the courts on that charge.
