Turkey's opposition deputy contests immunity law change

ANKARA (AA) – A lawmaker of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party has appealed to the Constitutional Court for the annulment of a law that allows the lifting of legal immunity of 138 deputies.

The CHP Istanbul deputy, Sezgin Tanrikulu, who made the appeal before the court, called the constitutional amendment, which was recently approved by the Turkish parliament, as a move against the law.

In remarks made outside the court, Tanrikulu said: “I hope the Constitutional Court examines this amendment, which is against the law, constitution, universal legal norms, and relieves Turkey from a political crisis to judicial remedy.”

On Friday, Turkish parliament passed the second article of a temporary amendment to the constitution that allows the lifting of immunity from prosecution of 138 deputies, who face criminal charges.

Out of the 138 lawmakers facing criminal charges, 27 belong to the Justice and Development (AK) Party, 51 from the CHP, 50 from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), nine from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and one independent deputy from Ankara.