Expelled lawmakers from CHP, MHP to apply to top court

ANKARA

Two expelled lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) will appeal their expulsion decisions to Turkey’s Constitutional Court, daily Sözcü has reported.

Meral Akşener, who was once a candidate for the MHP’s leadership, was expelled from her party by a majority of lawmakers’ votes on Sept. 8, 2016 allegedly for her comments regarding the party’s leader, Devlet Bahçeli. 

Bahçeli had previously accused Akşener of receiving support from Gülenists – an accusation she denied vehemently. 

“If I am a ‘parallel’ project for the MHP, then Mr. Bahçeli is himself the ‘Chief Parallel.’ But this is not true,” Akşener had said, referring to the followers of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, who is widely believed to be the mastermind behind the July 15 coup attempt.  

According to Sözcü, Akşener appealed to the Constitutional Court with a six-page application, referring to article 36 and 38 of the constitution.

“We are presenting this application for our right to a just trial. Our defense was violated,” she said. 

Aylin Nazlıaka, the other expelled lawmaker, was ousted from her party over allegations that she took down a poster of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and the party. She was later referred to the High Disciplinary Court of the party. 

An expert report prepared by three academics from three different universities had ruled that she should return to the party; however irrespective of this, the court had rejected her appeal. 

“My struggle for Atatürk’s revolutions and republic values will last until my last breath,” Nazlıaka had said after the decision.