Turkey

The Turkish parliament will today debate and vote on a draft law to strip over 130 Turkish MPs of their parliamentary immunity. The law will need to be adopted in two separate votes, with the second vote taking place Friday.  Commenting on the debate and votes, Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms said: 

"By stripping a large group of MPs of their immunity, President Erdogan is trying to 'correct' the electoral outcome in his favour.  Leaving the opposition open to spurious legal challenges will both weaken it and remove a crucial critical voice from the Turkish parliament.  President Erdogan's aim is clearly to secure the necessary parliamentary majority to allow him to change the constitution to his ends and to move towards an even more authoritarian presidential system.

"This law is targeted primarily at the HDP opposition party, which gained support from both the Kurdish electorate but also progressive liberal voters in the election.  Its chairman has fought for a political solution to the conflict between the government in Ankara and the Kurdish minority, whereas President Erdogan has refused to engage in the peace-process. Stripping many HDP deputies of their immunity could therefore further exacerbate the conflict. 

"While the Greens have consistently supported progressing negotiations with Turkey and visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens, it is clear that the continuing slide away from democratic norms should lead the EU to critically assess if the basic conditions for visa liberalisation exist. President Erdogan's latest blow against the rule of law again drives home that it is wrong for EU to rely on Turkey to solve the refugee crisis."