Former Attorneys’ Case Files Processed: Will Kılıçdaroğlu be Called to Testify?
Title: Investigation Launched Against Turkish Opposition Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
Date: 21st June 2023
Last Updated: 21st June 2023, 12:30 PM
Following the election of the Speaker of the Assembly and members of the commission, the 2002 report from the previous legislative term has been sent to the Presidency for classification.
In the new legislative term, the Presidency will forward the files of the drafted and elected deputies to the Parliament, while the files of those who were not elected will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry, in turn, will deliver over a thousand files to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation.
Amidst these proceedings, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Parliamentary Crimes Investigation Bureau has recently distributed 350 files of former deputies from the previous term to the relevant investigation offices. These individuals are subject to investigations but have not had their reports sent to Parliament. Among them, the leader of the opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, faces 18 files containing charges such as “making propaganda for a terrorist organization,” “inciting the public to hatred and enmity,” “insulting a public official,” and “slander.”
Prosecutors at the investigation offices receiving these files will seek testimonies from the former MPs who no longer have legislative immunity. Kılıçdaroğlu is expected to be summoned to the courthouse, where he will provide his statement to the deputy chief prosecutor of the relevant investigation office. If sufficient evidence is obtained, a lawsuit will be filed against Kılıçdaroğlu in the subsequent stages of the investigation.
This development marks a significant juncture in Turkish politics as the opposition leader faces legal challenges. The investigation process will determine the course of action against Kılıçdaroğlu and potentially impact the country’s political landscape in the months to come.
