Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli Deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerliolu' was stripped of from his status as a member of the parliament after the decision about him was read at the General Assembly. HDP started a sit in to protest the decision.

 

DEMOCRACY WATCH

 

The sit in staged in the General Assembly hall was moved to HDP Group hall after 5. HDP MP's have spent the night there in turns. Gergerlioğlu defines the sit in a 'Democracy Watch'.

 

HIS SON IS ALSO AT THE PARLIAMENT

 

Gergerlioğlu has been really busy at the first day of the watch. He made statements to various news outlets through out the day. His son Salih Gergerlioğlu also came to the parliament to support his father. Beds and blankets were brought to the parliament for the MPs to stay out the night.

 

HE LEFT HIS HOUSE WITH HIS SUITCASE

 

Gergerlioğlu said goodbye to his family before the verdict was read yesterday and came to the Parliament with a bag containing his clothes. Stating that he will be taken to prison if he is forcibly removed from the parliament, Gergerlioğlu said: "I am ready. If they will take me to the prison by removing me from here by force, I am ready. If they don't, I will be here."

 

FIRST MP TO HAVE THE DECISION READ TO HIS FACE

 

Gergerlioğlu also stated that he was the first member of parliament to stay in the General Assembly while the decision to strip of his status as an MP read to his face.

 

'WE'VE GOT THE AUTHORITY FROM THE PEOPLE'

 

Stating that the judicial decision against him was coercive and the conscience of the public did not accept it, Gergerlioğlu said: “This decision will not be accepted by the public conscience. People reacted to it. Because I didn't commit any crime. They stripped me of my status as an MP to oppress me. And I will be sent to prison with the same reason. We are resisting at the parliament. They stripped me of my status as an MP on paper. I am still a member of the parliament. We have got this authority from the people. It can not be stripped of with a flimsy judicial decision. The speaker of the parliament violated the rule of immunity and the constitution. I still feel like a member of the parliament."

 

THEY LOST THEIR BEARINGS

 

Pointing out that the AKP and MHP MPs lost their bearings after the backlash when the decision against him was read, Gergerlioğlu said: "They closed the session. They came back and reopened it but the reactions continued. We showed an effective resistance. Our message has arrived. The whole world was shaken. We strongly explained this injustice to everyone. We continue our resistance with my party. My friends supported me and they never lacked morale and motivation. I did my duty, I was a deputy. I am happy about that. I did my job with love. Sometimes I succeeded and sometimes I couldn't. But I created a public opinion for all rights violations."

 

IT WILL NOT YIELD ANY RESULTS

 

Speaking about the closure case against HDP, Gergerlioğlu said: "It is an indication of an operation against HDP. This is tragic and ridiculous at the same time. They have been trying this for years and never got any results."

 

'SUPPORT OF THE OPPOSITION WAS NOT ENOUGH'

 

Gergerlioğlu stated that there was serious backlash from the public opinion and from international platforms and that they are happy about it but they could not get the same amount of support from the opposition parties. Gergerlioğlu said: "The opposition has prejudices. This is why they are discontented. Both CHP and İYİ Party. They did not support the decision but they could not support us too." Gergerlioğlu told that the same thing could happen to MPs from other parties.

 

SIT IN WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE DECISION OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ARRIVES

 

Gergerlioğlu is determined to continue the sit in at the Parliament until the decision of the Constitutional Court (AYM) arrives. There is no specific time for the AYM to make this decision. The Constitutional Court issued a violation decision about Enis Berberlioğlu of the CHP two years after he was stripped of his status as MP. Gergerlioğlu emphasized that one purpose of the sit in was to accelerate the AYM process.

 

Gergerlioğlu said, “I am determined to sit here, to resist. AYM can announce the decision against me. They must be quich about it. Because a member of the parliament who was chosen by the people was stripped of his status as MP with merely simple games. We did not apply to AYM in vain. Its consequences are vital. Before me, Enis Berberoğlu was reinstated as an MP after the AYM decision. AYM has to hurry. "I will continue to fight, even though I know that the sword of Democles is swinging upon my head."

 

'WE WILL CREATE PUBLIC OPINION'

 

Gergerlioğlu finished his words by saying, "We are waiting a democracy watch here. This is not personal. I am addressing all HDP voters and the voters of other parties. Dno not accept this unlawful decision."

 

MA / Diren Yurtsever