Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop on Monday blasted a pro-PKK Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker who posed in photos with a member of the PKK terrorist group.
"Those who work under the roof of the Turkish Grand National Assembly must draw a clear line between themselves and terrorism. If this is not done, the law, constitution and bylaws must be followed," Şentop told journalists outside parliament.
Photos of HDP lawmaker Semra Güzel with PKK terrorist Volkan Bora were widely circulated in Turkish media on Sunday.
Bora was killed by Turkish armed forces in the southeastern Adıyaman province in 2017.
Şentop demanded that Güzel's legislative immunity from prosecution be revoked, adding: "In terms of crimes against the constitutional order, I believe that the immunity in cases involving serious crimes should be lifted and the way to trial should be paved."
In its more than 35-year terrorism campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
The HDP has been subject to public criticism for transferring taxpayer money and funds to the PKK, an internationally recognized terrorist group. HDP mayors and local officials are known to have misallocated funds in support of the PKK and provided jobs to the group's sympathizers.
