(BIANET/IFEX) – Hamit Geylani, independent Member of Parliament for Hakkari, has protested attempts to have his parliamentary immunity lifted for speaking Kurdish during the election campaign. Geylani says that demands to lift his immunity are based on the fact that he spoke Kurdish at a rally in Yüksekova, Hakkari, before the 22 July 2007 general […]
(BIANET/IFEX) – Hamit Geylani, independent Member of Parliament for Hakkari, has protested attempts to have his parliamentary immunity lifted for speaking Kurdish during the election campaign.
Geylani says that demands to lift his immunity are based on the fact that he spoke Kurdish at a rally in Yüksekova, Hakkari, before the 22 July 2007 general elections.
Speaking to “Yüksekova News”, Geylani said that no one could prevent him from speaking his mother tongue: “Even if it is a crime, I will continue to commit it.”
He added: “There have been demands for my immunity to be lifted because I spoke Kurdish at an election rally in Yüksekova. It was a speech I made knowingly, willingly, lovingly. No one can prevent me from saying ‘Hello’ to my people in my mother tongue and from speaking about the people’s problems in their mother tongue. No one can lift my immunity. No one can stop me from speaking my mother tongue.”
There have also been demands to lift the immunity of Ibrahim Binici, DTP MP for Sanliurfa, because he used Kurdish campaign material.
