Summary of proceedings debate intensifies in Parliament: Emphasis on confidentiality in investigations

Political parties with groups in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) raised their discomfort in the General Assembly regarding the sharing of the summaries of proceedings (fezleke) prepared for YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel and MP Veli Ağbaba with the public. The disclosure of the content of the summaries by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sparked reactions from both the opposition front and representatives of the ruling parties. The focus of the criticism was on the violation of the principle of confidentiality in investigations and the damage to the presumption of innocence.

According to the report by Cumhuriyet, Deputy Speaker of the TBMM Tekin Bingöl held a phone conversation with Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş regarding the announcement of the summaries and subsequently gave the floor to the groups at the opening of the General Assembly.

YENİ Yol Group Deputy Chairman Selçuk Özdağ harshly criticized the distribution of the contents of the summaries, stating, "Whoever leaked this, whether it was the Ministry of Justice or TBMM bureaucrats, action must be taken against them. When Özel and his colleagues were CHP chairmen, they were a nightmare for the government. An operation was carried out against them. It seems they continue to pose a threat today. This is not right."

İYİ Party Group Deputy Chairman Turhan Çömez drew attention to parliamentary immunity, saying, "Summary of proceedings documents come to Parliament in a confidential manner. Only then are they delivered to the addressee. I was out of Ankara, I sent my advisors, I could not receive my summaries. Why are the summaries regarding Özgür Özel and Veli Ağbaba being leaked? This is a blow to democracy. If those who carry out this process are not exposed, democracy will be harmed."

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Sevda Erdan Kılıç pointed to the importance of protecting the presumption of innocence, stating, "We do not find it right for any member of parliament, especially a chairman, to be subjected to trial by media. Our view on the issue of immunity is clear. It is not that no one can be held accountable for matters outside the immunity of MPs while performing their duties. Everyone should be held accountable for what they do, but we do not find such a disclosure or trial by media to be right."

AKP Group Deputy Chairman Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu reminded of the Code of Criminal Procedure within the framework of general principles: "Everyone must pay the price for the crime they have committed. But I am speaking generally, outside of this incident. The Code of Criminal Procedure is very clear. It states that procedural actions during the investigation phase must be conducted confidentially. This principle aims to protect the collection of evidence and the presumption of innocence. It is our collective wish that this be adhered to."

MHP Group Deputy Chairman Filiz Kılıç stated that many summaries of proceedings had come to the agenda in the past as well, saying, "This is not unique to this year; there were many summaries in the past. According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, confidentiality is essential for everyone. As the MHP group, we believe that this confidentiality must be protected. We will continue to make the necessary statements in the necessary places with this same belief from now on."

Sezai Temelli from the DEM Party argued that the leaking of the summaries creates pressure on politics, reacting to the events with the words, "In the eyes of the prosecutors, it is as if we are an organized crime syndicate. This mentality is an intervention against politics. It is unacceptable to leak summaries and carry out character assassination."

YENİ Party Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır also stated that the summaries regarding opposition MPs are used as a threat, calling out, "The opposition has thousands of summaries. These are used as a threat. An MP's summary arrives, they are tried, but the statute of limitations is suspended. Except for very grave crimes, the lifting of an MP's immunity and the disclosure of a summary that has not yet arrived is very grave. We must all take a stand on this issue. This is not a funny thing. Let us take a stand on this."

At the end of the discussions, Deputy Speaker of the TBMM Tekin Bingöl expressed the common sensitivity in the General Assembly, saying, "It has been stated that the presumption of innocence is very valuable. All groups have reached a consensus. I hope that paying attention to this attitude is very important. It is the primary duty of all of us to protect the rights of all MPs in the TBMM. There is a matter called parliamentary immunity, but summaries are being sent even to those who speak on the podium. This is an inconceivable situation."