TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) Speaker’s Office rejected the petition by Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tuðluk which demands the restoration of their membership in the legislative, showed the Constitutional Court as the reason of the decision. At the statement made by Speaker’s Office, it was recorded “The Constitutional Court is authorized in this respect”.  

Following the rejection statement of the assembly, BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) said; “We are going to claim our rights to the end”.  

BDP Þýrnak MP Hasip Kaplan said; “President of the Assembly threw the ball out of bounds. We will not give up and we will go till the end”. Speaking to CNN Turkish TV Channel, Kaplan remarked that they have two choices like applying to constitutinal justice and taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights. Kaplan emphasized that the lawyers will become clearer after carry out an evaluation between each other.

The deputyship of Tuðluk and Türk who is in the current Co-Chair position of DTK (Democratic Society Congress), was taken from them after DTP (Democratic Society Party) was closed by the Constitutional Court. After the referendum of constitutional amendment on 12 September, BDP appealed to Speaker’s Office for the restoration of Türk and Tuðluk’s membership in the legislative.

Translation: Berna Ozgencil