The legislative body’s deputy speaker announced the impeachment of Guven and Musa Farisogullari from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), as well as Enis Berberoglu from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on June 4, based off a contentious constitutional article stipulating a loss of membership for being convicted in a court of law.
The three parliamentarians were detained later, but Berberoglu was released within 24 hours and put under house arrest due to coronavirus-related health measures.
Guven was sentenced to six years and three months in late September, after being accused of affiliating with the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella group of a number of parties, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The court’s decision came after the politician already served time in prison, which she says was for the KCK case, the proceedings of which began in 2009.
However, the judges who ruled on the case in September are said to have subsequently jailed for alleged links to Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the government blames for a failed coup attempt in 2016.
Guven told Rudaw Thursday after the impeachment decision that she has already served six years since 2009 for the cases, and therefore will not be jailed again, and wonders how her membership can be revoked based on a ruling made by judges jailed for having links to Gulen.
Guven was released late Tuesday “after her detention was deducted, taking into account the length of her stay in prison,” according to a tweet by the HDP.
“I have been released, but Mr Musa [Farisogullari] remains behind bars despite his illness,” Guven told reporters after her release.
Farisogullari was also tried as an affiliate of the KCK and sentenced to nine years in prison.
“There are thousands of others [from the HDP] in jail. Therefore, I am not content in my release. However, we will all continue our struggle together until Kurds gain their freedom,” added Guven.
“I call on our people not to be discouraged [by arrests] … as we will definitely succeed.”
Many compared Thursday’s removal of politicians to the post-coup crackdown of the government against dissidents and those perceived to threaten the ruling party in 2016. The HDP suffered greatly under the surge of arrests, which led to the imprisonment of many of its officials, members and supporters, including former co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, who are still behind bars.
Most of the HDP’s 59 mayors have been removed from office and replaced by pro-government administrators (trustees). Some of the ejected-politicians have been detained, tried, and convicted for their alleged links to the PKK, an armed group which struggles for Kurdish cultural and political rights, but is seen by Ankara and its Western allies as a terrorist organization.
Six HDP mayoral-elects were not permitted to even begin their term in office despite their victory in the March 2019 local elections.
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