ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Green Left Party on Monday expressed solidarity with Turkish MP Sezgin Tanrikulu, days after he was placed under investigation for remarks suggesting the Turkish armed forces were involved in crimes committed against Kurds in 1990s.
Sezgin Tanrikulu, Diyarbakir MP of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), in a televised interview on Friday night, said that investigations by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) showed atrocities committed against Kurdish civilians at the hands of the Turkish army. He went on to accuse the armed forces of throwing Kurdish villagers off helicopters and bombarding villages decades ago.
“The crimes committed against the Kurds on behalf of the state in the 90s continue today,” read a party statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), adding that the ruling alliance of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), along with the opposition, protect the perpetrators.
“Those who first deny the crimes committed against the Armenians, Kurds, Alevis, and all others and then try to silence those who voice them, cannot hide the truth,” added the statement.
Turkish state media reported on Saturday night that Ankara’s chief prosecutor’s office launched an investigation against the Kurdish MP for “insulting the Turkish nation, the Republic of Turkey, and state institutions and bodies” and “inciting hatred and enmity.”
“When a Kurd tells the truth, he is subjected to the wrath of those who are enemies of the truth, especially his own party,” continued the Green Left statement, adding that they will “continue to stand by the truth and defend the truth under any circumstances.”
The CHP, which Tanrikulu is a part of, has distanced itself from his statements. Faik Oztrak, party spokesperson, stated on X that the MP's remarks accusing the Turkish armed forces were unacceptable.
"Our authorized bodies will discuss the matter," he added.
Despite the party spokesperson’s comment, other members of the CHP did not share the same opinion.
CHP MP Yuksel Taskin said on X that “Sezgin Tanrikulu criticized without insulting anyone,” and the current campaign that targets him is a work of what he called “ruling party trolls.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday slammed Tanrikulu for his remarks, accusing him of being close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and vowed that he would be punished by the law for insulting the army.
"These cowardly insults and slanders against our Turkish Armed Forces will not go unpunished," Erdogan said.
Sezgin Tanrikulu is a Kurdish MP from the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir (Amed in Kurdish). He has been serving as a member of the Turkish parliament since 2011 and is known for his advocacy for the rights of minorities, prisoners, and press freedom within Turkey.
If he is indicted, Tanrikulu could be sentenced to 12 months up to three years in prison under the Turkish penal code. However, he currently has parliamentary immunity, which must be lifted by the Turkish parliament before he can be tried.
