Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a former lawmaker of the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has been detained in Ankara, Anadolu Agency reported late Friday.
Gergerlioğlu was recently stripped of deputyship over terrorism charges.
Earlier this week, Turkey's top court had rejected a bid to restore the parliamentary seat of Gergerlioğlu. The Constitutional Court later revealed in its detailed ruling that the main justification behind the rejection of the appeal was a lack of jurisdiction.
“The stripping of a parliamentary seat that takes place by the means of notifying the final court decision to the general assembly and that is based on certain criminal convictions or restrictions, is within the scope of article 85 of the constitution and therefore beyond the investigation, duty and competence of the constitutional court,” it said.
On Feb. 19, Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals, also called the Court of Cassation, approved the ruling on Gergerlioğlu, who was sentenced to two years and six months for spreading propaganda for the PKK terrorist group.
Two months ago, Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into provocative social media posts made by some HDP deputies. HDP Istanbul Deputy Hüda Kaya and Gergerlioğlu are accused of making terrorist propaganda and insulting the Turkish nation, state and republic in line with Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code.
The lawmakers had claimed that the Turkish military bombed the camp where the PKK was holding Turkish citizens hostage in the Gara region of northern Iraq.
PKK terrorists executed 13 Turkish citizens in a cave in northern Iraq after abducting them and shooting most of them in the head, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said in a statement in February.
The grim news came as Turkey was carrying out the Claw-Eagle 2 anti-terror operation in northern Iraq.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian branch.
Following the loss of Gergerlioğlu's seat, the HDP now holds 55 seats in Parliament, while the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has 289, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) 136, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) 48 and Good Party (IP) 36.
