Kurdistan Times, n° IV
Head of the author: Mustafa Al Karadaghi
fairfax city, USA
Editor: Compte d'auteur
1996
[1]
On March 3, 1994, the Turkish Parliament, known as the Grand National Assembly (GANT), voted to deny parliamentary immunity to eight of its members who are ethnic Kurds. The names of the deputies are: Hatip Dicle, Leyla Zana, Ahmet Turk, Sirri Sakik, Orhan Dogan, Mahmut Alinak, Selim Sadak, and Hassan Mezarci.
The eight deputies protested their denial of parliamentary immunity as a violation of the Turkish Constitution. They barricaded themselves in the Parliament building to avoid arrest. The Turkish police were called and surrounded the Parliament building, guarding all exits. On March 5, 1994, all eight deputies surrendered and were arrested. They were imprisoned in the government’s detention center pending trial by the State Security Court.
“Following the arrest of the MP’s in a scene of chaos, two of the deputies appeared before a regular court. Charges were dismissed.