The Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office has received the file of former pro-PKK Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Tuma Çelik, who is accused of sexual assault and will be required to give testimony soon after he lost his parliamentary immunity.
Parliament submitted Çelik's case file to the prosecutor through the Justice Ministry, reports said, adding that the prosecutor is expected to prepare a bill of indictment and forward it to the heavy penal court for a trial.
Çelik’s immunity was lifted on Oct. 7, which paved the way for his prosecution.
A parliamentary commission established to discuss the case advised Parliament on Aug. 24 to lift his immunity.
Çelik, a deputy from Mardin, was dismissed from his party after the allegations emerged.
The incident marked the first time a victim of sexual assault directly spoke to lawmakers at Parliament.
The victim, identified only by the initials D.K., attended a closed-door meeting led by Ali Özkaya, the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Afyonkarahisar deputy.
D.K. reportedly told lawmakers about her experience and answered questions.
She noted that she had informed HDP lawmakers about the incident, but most of them had ignored her complaint, while one told her that they were busy dealing with mayors being replaced by trustees and thus could not “afford to lose a single lawmaker.”
She also said some female deputies criticized her for accepting Çelik’s invitation for coffee in the first place.
“He raped me after we had coffee,” D.K. said, adding that he had threatened her after she told him that she would file a complaint about him with the party.
