Arrested CHP deputies will work from prison

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

İnce also says Balbay and Haberal condemned a recent Parliamentary report which identified only minor water and acoustic problems at Silivri prison. DHA photo

Arrested Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies Mustafa Balbay and Mehmet Haberal will continue their legislative activities from behind bars at Istanbul’s Silivri Prison, main opposition CHP Deputy Group Chairman Muharrem İnce has said after visiting the two in prison.

“Both Haberal and Balbay will take part in legislative activities from Silivri Prison. They will continue their deputyship duties,” İnce told journalists, according to Anatolia news agency.

Haberal and Balbay are being imprisoned as part of the Ergenekon probe. İnce visited them in Silivri Prison along with CHP Istanbul deputies Melda Onur and Haluk Eyidoğan, Giresun deputy Selahattin Karaahmetoğlu, and Amasya Deputy Ramis Topal.

“Defective democracy continues. The deficient national will continues. In the opening day of Parliament, the speech of the prime minister following the speech of the president is jogged in our memories,” İnce said.

He also warned that parliamentary democracy was not working in Turkey anymore. “There are no replies to parliamentary questions. There are no commissions established to research questions. Legislation is being controlled, with the legislation authority run in the name of Tayyip Erdoğan, not in the name of the Turkish people,” he said.

İnce also said Balbay and Haberal condemned the report of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission’s Prison Sub-commission, which identified only minor water and acoustic problems at Silivri during its visit in June.

“Our friends say they are being alienated in the prison. They said the judicial period was the main torture and that this has become a part of prison conditions,” İnce said.