Brussels, 09/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - During a debate in the evening of Wednesday 8 June, European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and MEPs criticised the lifting of immunity by the Turkish parliamentary from 138 MPs from the pro-Kurdish HPD party. The law allowing lifting of their immunity was promulgated earlier that same day by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Stressing the unacceptable nature of the decision, Hahn pointed out that immunity has to apply to all without discrimination and its lifting should be decided in line with transparent criteria rather than political considerations. He said that on a number of occasions, the European Commission has stressed that parliamentary immunity rules should include specific criteria and objectives for allowing decisions to lift it. He added that even though Turkey still says that it wants to become a member of the EU, it is moving further away and going in a different direction practice for the rule of law is a non-negotiable step.
The MEPs made similar noises. Lifting parliamentary immunity from 138 MPs is unusual, said Roumain Cristian Dan Preda on behalf of the EPP, noting the collective nature of the decision and its impact on Turkish citizens' representation. He added that only if Turkey respects the rule of law will it keep its word and be able to be respected in Europe. Kati Piri (S&D, the Netherlands), rapporteur on Turkey, said that gagging opponents goes against all democratic principles and if that is gone in a democratically-elected parliament, then where will opposing views be tolerated? She called for a sustainable solution to be found to the Kurdish question. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (ALDE, Germany) said that the lifting of immunity was based on fallacious allegations to a greater or lesser degree and was totally preposterous. No parliament in the world acts like this, he said, and legally-elected representatives have to be able to carry out their mandate freely, free of any legal proceedings. He regretted the way everything had been politicised and it was no longer possible to talk about independent justice.
Gabi Zimmer (GUE, Germany) said that going by Erdogan's criteria, three-quarters of MEPs would have their immunity lifted and action was needed to defend common European values, freedoms and democracy. On behalf of the Greens, Bodil Valero (Sweden) made similar comments, but also expressed concern about the way that anti-terror laws were being used against opponents and people who wanted to make use of their freedom of speech.
Criticising the “deafening European silence”, Fabio Massimo Castaldo (ELDD, Italy) said that the lifting of immunity was Erdogan's latest act against a weak Europe that doesn't have the courage to denounce him as it should. Yet again, we are seeing Turkey threatening Europe, said Edouard Ferrand (ENL, France), calling on his colleagues to call for an end to Turkey's accession negotiations and asking them whether Erdogan's dictatorship was a model compatible with European values.
Reacting to the lifting of immunity by the Turkish parliament, the European Parliament's Kurdish friendship group called on MEPs that day to sponsor as a sign of solidarity each of the 138 HDP MPs whose immunity has been lifted (see EUROPE 11568). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)