Kurdish Representatives under attack in the Turkish National Assembly

The ruling party AKP is hell-bent on silencing any and all opposition in the National Assembly, media, or on the streets in Turkey.

The latest assault comes to Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, an elected representative of the HDP, the Peoples’ Democratic Party. Like those before him who faced similar accusations and imprisonment, he is also charged with making terrorist propaganda for criticizing Erdogan’s government. The AKP dominated National Assembly canceled his parliamentarian position as a representative yesterday, the first step to send him to prison.

Gergerlioğlu is not willing to leave his post as he defies the lifting of his MP status. He is not leaving the National Assembly building, fighting the AKP party to send the police to drag him out. He made it clear after the decision that the people had elected him to represent their concerns in the Assembly, and only the people could revoke his status. However, the government wants to punish him for even questioning the corruption, anti-democratic moves, and open racism of the ruling AKP and its racist neo-Nazi junior collation party, MHP.

The MP could get a prison sentence between 2 to 6 years if he is convicted of making terrorist propaganda. The judges are not free or independent in Turkey as the government fires or sends them to “exile” if they don’t deliver to the government’s liking.

His accusation came as a result of one of his social media shares defending Kurdish human rights.

Speaking after he was stripped of his parliamentarian position, Gergerlioğlu said more than 90,000 people elected him and deserved the role given to him by the people. He said he is not going anywhere. His fellow representatives from the progressive Kurdish party, HDP, surrounded him to support and provide protection during his announcement of defiance.

Sendika.org News (MB)