| Author (Corporate) | European Union: European External Action Service |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Statement |
| Series Details | 20.05.16 |
| Publication Date | 20/05/2016 |
| Content Type | News |
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In a Joint statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner Johannes Hahn on the 20 May 2016 it was said that the decision by the Turkish Parliament on that day to permit the lifting of parliamentary immunity of a large number of Members of Parliament was a matter of serious concern. 'In line with relevant international recommendations, immunity must apply to all on a non-discriminatory basis and decisions on lifting immunity must be based on the merits of each specific case, according to transparent criteria and not subject to any political considerations'. News sources said that the bill was widely seen as a method of damaging the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and boosting the power of President Erdogan. The European Parliament's plenary session held a debate on 8 June regarding this situation. Members of the parliament considered this to be a move by Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to silence the opposition and grab more powers, which undermines the rule of law and freedom of expression and might harm EU-Turkey relations. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2016/160520_04_en.htm |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Turkey |
