Pro-Kurdish Party Should ‘Pay Price’ for Calling for Anatolia Autonomy

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) leadership should be stripped of their parliamentary immunity for the "constitutional crime" of calling for more autonomy in southeastern Anatolia region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, as quoted by local media on Saturday.

"The statements of the two co-leaders are definitely a constitutional crime," Erdogan said, as quoted by Today's Zaman newspaper. "I believe a process that would start with the lifting of their immunity would positively affect the atmosphere in our country regarding the fight against terrorism."

Co-chairmen of the HDP Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdas are facing an investigation launched by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Diyarbakır for "inciting people to revolt," "propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "attempting to disrupt unity of the state and the country" for their statements at a Democratic Society Congress (DTK) meeting on December 26-27.

Last week, Demirtas attended the two-day congress hosted by Kurdish groups that are looking for more self-governance for the Kurds in the country. Demirtas reportedly spoke in support of self-rule in the predominantly Kurdish southeastern Anatolia.

Following the congress, prosecutors in Ankara and the southeastern province of Diyarbakir launched investigations regarding Demirtas' remarks.