Political parties agree to find legal solution to jailed deputies

In a statement on Thursday, the office said Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek met with the parliamentary group deputy chairmen from the Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) early on Thursday. “It was agreed during the meeting that the issue would be solved on a legal basis without being used politically and in a way in which the four parties will be in agreement,” the statement said.

CHP parliamentary group Deputy Chairwoman Emine Ülker Tarhan, MHP parliamentary group Deputy Chairman Mehmet Şandır and BDP parliamentary group deputy chairmen Hasip Kaplan and Pervin Buldan attended a breakfast held by Çiçek to discuss the parties' proposals on Thursday. All of these opposition parties have deputies currently in jail, having not been released despite their election to Parliament in the general elections last year.

Jailed CHP deputies Mustafa Balbay and Mehmet Haberal as well as the MHP's Engin Alan face coup charges. Six BDP deputies in jail face charges of membership in the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organization that prosecutors say includes the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Currently, it is the courts' prerogative not to release individuals elected to Parliament if they have been charged with terrorism-related crimes. The BDP is strictly against any arrest or detention of lawmakers.