Süleyman Soylu had requested the lifting of his parliamentary immunity: Response came from the TBMM

AKP Istanbul MP and former Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu applied to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in recent weeks, requesting the lifting of his legislative immunity. 

In his petition, Soylu stated, "it is an indispensable responsibility to not remain indifferent to the destructiveness of those who are in collaboration and intellectual partnership with criminal structures in smear and defamation campaigns, and to take action against those who want to take revenge on a struggle woven with loyalty, determination, and sacrifice at every moment."

RESPONSE FROM NUMAN KURTULMUŞ

A response to this application by Soylu came from TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş. According to Sözcü columnist Aytunç Erkin, Kurtulmuş included the following statements in his response:

“Procedures regarding the lifting of legislative immunity are carried out within the framework of the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure mentioned above. Furthermore, no motion regarding you has reached our office. In line with these explanations, there is no action that can be taken by our office regarding your application.”

Soylu's request for the lifting of his immunity was not processed by the Speaker's Office due to the absence of a relevant motion.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Former Minister of Interior and AKP Istanbul MP Süleyman Soylu had applied to the TBMM Speaker's Office with a petition on Friday, July 26, requesting the lifting of his legislative immunity.

Claiming that the news published about him was intended for defamation and slander, Soylu had stated that "it has become necessary to fight on legal grounds against evil centers that aim to create suspicion and question marks in the eyes of the nation."

Stating that within the year since he left the Ministry of Interior, 11 thousand 500 television news reports, 1454 newspaper reports, 628 columns and articles, and 218 thousand internet and social media reports containing what he claims to be lies, insults, defamation, and slander have been produced against him, Soylu said, "Although there is no motion (fezleke) regarding any subject in the TBMM from our term of office, CHP Chairmen and spokespersons have repeatedly stated that I am protected by hiding behind the shield of immunity with baseless smears and slanders they have uttered on various dates, and in this way, they have knowingly misled the public. Again, CHP Chairmen and spokespersons are conducting a simultaneous campaign before the eyes of our nation against our term of office and myself, together with the PKK terrorist organization, which has threatened the indivisible integrity of our country for years, and its representatives in Parliament with whom it conducts political unity and consensus, and against whom they have not done, could not do, have not said, and could not say what they should have against FETÖ and DHKP-C."

Soylu had used the following expressions:

"Of course, my commitment to democracy and law, my loyalty to my state, my responsibility to our nation, and my respect for the will of our Ghazi Assembly; due to my belief in the accuracy of every moment of the duties we performed and the struggles we gave, the necessity has arisen to apply for the lifting of this legislative immunity in the face of all this smear, slander, and discrediting campaign. In the face of the smear, slander, and discrediting campaigns conducted against me regarding the periods I was in office, I request the necessity of lifting my legislative immunity within the framework of the relevant articles of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey and the TBMM Rules of Procedure for the manifestation of justice and truth."