Insult, propaganda, incitement to hostility: Summaries of proceedings against 3 party leaders submitted to the Turkish Parliament

Last week, 17 new summaries of proceedings were submitted to the Speaker of the Parliament to lift the legislative immunity of 14 deputies. Among the names mentioned in the summaries are CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, and IYI Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu. This marks the first time summaries of proceedings have been prepared against Özel and Dervişoğlu since they assumed their respective party leadership roles.

SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ÖZGÜR ÖZEL

According to a report by Ceren Bayar from Gazete Duvar, the summary of proceedings prepared against CHP Chairman Özgür Özel stems from remarks he made regarding then-AKP Spokesperson Mahir Ünal during a press conference held at the Parliament in 2018. During the press conference, Özel had stated the following about Ünal:

"If the coup had been successful, would you have been among the cadres governing Turkey or not? If the coup had been successful, perhaps Erdoğan, Yıldırım, some administrators, and we would not be here, but you would still be making statements as a spokesperson after the meetings you held under martial law, Mr. Mahir. Who is the first name that comes to mind who could be accused of cooperation with both FETÖ and the PKK within the AKP? The first name that comes to mind is, of course, Mahir Ünal."

Due to these remarks, a summary of proceedings was prepared against Özel on the grounds that he insulted Ünal.

TWO SEPARATE SUMMARIES AGAINST TÜLAY HATİMOĞULLARI

Two summaries of proceedings were prepared against DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları.

The first summary is based on allegations that she committed the crimes of "engaging in terrorist organization propaganda and praising crime and criminals" during a speech she gave in front of her party's Mersin-Akdeniz district office in November 2023. It was noted that in this speech, Hatimoğulları used the following expressions: "The Kurdish people are struggling with dignity in the four parts of Kurdistan... We are the comrades of Dr. Hikmet Kıvılcımlı, Kaypakkaya, the Mahirs, the Denizes, the Mazlums, the Seves, the Sakines, and Leyla Şaylemez."

The second summary was prepared on the allegation that she committed the crime of "publicly inciting the people to hatred and hostility" during a speech she gave at the commemoration of the Şenyaşar family in Suruç in June 2024.

SOCIAL MEDIA SUMMARY AGAINST MÜSAVAT DERVİŞOĞLU

The summary of proceedings prepared against IYI Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu was created due to a post he made on social media.

After political scientist Onur Erim used sexist expressions regarding the then-IYI Party Chairman during a television program he attended in 2022, Dervişoğlu responded to these statements via social media. However, his post became the subject of a summary of proceedings on the grounds that it contained insults directed at Erim.