Türkiye’s main opposition demands 2nd Parliament session for jailed MP Atalay
Main oppositionCHP calls for a 2nd extraordinary Parliament session on September 10 for jailed MP Can Atalay. (Photo via Gazete Oksijen)
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has announced plans to request an extraordinary session of the Turkish Parliament for the second time to address the situation of Can Atalay, a Hatay MP from the Workers’ Party of Türkiye (TIP) whose seat was revoked earlier this year.
CHP Deputy Group Chair Murat Emir revealed at a press conference that the party will call for Parliament to convene on Sept. 10, with the agenda focused on Can Atalay’s case.
The push for this extraordinary session follows the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which declared the revocation of Atalay’s parliamentary status as “null and void.”
“We are once again calling Parliament to an extraordinary meeting on Sept. 10. We demand that the Parliament convene on September 10 and that it be reiterated and read in the General Assembly that Can Atalay is indeed a member of Parliament,” Emir stated.
What happened earlier?
Can Atalay’s status as a member of Parliament was revoked on Jan. 30, following a decision by the Third Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, which upheld his conviction in the Gezi Park case. The revocation was officially acknowledged in Parliament.
Main opposition calls for extraordinary session
However, in a detailed ruling published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 1, the Constitutional Court deemed the decision to revoke Atalay’s status “null and void,” raising questions about whether his parliamentary rights will be restored.
Following the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Can Atalay, the CHP called for an extraordinary session of the Turkish Parliament to address his situation.
Request for Atalay rejected in Parliament
The Parliament convened on Aug. 16 to discuss the request for a general debate on Atalay’s parliamentary status.
However, the session was marked by high tensions, with discussions being interrupted six times due to physical altercations among the members. Ultimately, the request for a general debate on Atalay was rejected.
