​Chief Prosecutor initiates investigation into HDP

TURKEY - In Brief 28 Jul 2015 by Atilla Yesilada

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After Erdogan accused the pro-Kurdish rights party HDP of being the accomplice of PKK and reiterated that the Kurdish Peace is over, Turkey’s Chief Prosecutor didn’t waste time leaking it to the press that his office began collecting evidence with a view on pressing charges against HDP for aiding and abetting PKK. One of our dear readers immediately rang our door bell with the following questions: Regarding the news on Market Watch, the Supreme Court (should be the Chief Prosecutor) launched an investigation into HDP for acting against the law on political parties having ties with terrorist organizations. We have three questions: 1) Do you think this move was made by AKP? Who is behind this? A: Clearly, it is Erdogan who inspired the Chief Prosecutor. Erdogan knows it is very difficult to shut down parties after the 2010 constitutional changes, but he wants the immunities of most HDP deputies removed so that they can be excommunicated from the parliament and then tried. HDP immediately rose to the challenge. Today, all 80 deputies will appeal to the Speaker to have their immunities lifted. It requires a floor vote, though. It is up to the Speaker to put the vote on the agenda. We will see whether the new Speaker is with Erdogan or Davutoglu (who probably doesn’t want a new fight on HDP). If the motion is put to a floor vote we may also observe rifts in AKP, among those who thinks this is an awfully bad idea (I concur, it may lead to a second Gezi) and fans of Erdogan. 2) What is the expected effect over a potential AKP/CHP coalition? A: Yesterday, AKP and CHP teams met for seven hours, and according to preliminary reports, four major areas of disagreements emerged: · T...