The Kars Newspaper
Former HDP lawmaker and former Mayor of Kars, Ayhan Bilgen, shared on social media a petition submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 2016 regarding the lifting of parliamentary immunity for HDP members of parliament.
In his statement, Bilgen argued that the petition reflected a collective decision within the party, saying, “All of us signed it. We did the right thing. If the same situation occurred again, we should do the same.”
The petition included a request stating: “We respectfully submit for your consideration the necessary procedures regarding the lifting of parliamentary immunity for the members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party whose names and signatures are attached.”
The document bears the signatures of then-HDP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chairs Pervin Buldan and İdris Baluken.
Bilgen’s remarks have brought the debate over parliamentary immunity back into public discussion and prompted renewed political commentary.
