CHP deputies protest investigation of chairman, petition for removal of immunity

The prosecutor has also requested the removal of the CHP leader's parliamentary immunity and forwarded the request to the Ministry of Justice. If Kılıçdaroğlu's parliamentary immunity is removed, an indictment can be filed against him and he may face trial.

Some 80 deputies from the main opposition party called a press conference in front of the Parliament building early in the day to protest the prosecutor's move. Speaking on behalf of the group, CHP parliamentary group deputy chairman Akif Hamzaçebi said CHP deputies do not believe that the probe was launched by the “independent judiciary.”

The deputies then marched towards the Parliament Speaker's Office and submitted their petitions at the office, asking for the removal of their parliamentary immunity as well.

The CHP leader had earlier submitted a petition to Parliament in which he asked the legislative body to remove his immunity. “I do not need immunity. Here is my petition. I will forward it [to Parliament] after the group meeting. I am not among those who make politics through fear. Do you want to settle accounts with the CHP leader? Remove his immunity,” Kılıçdaroğlu said on Tuesday.

The investigation was launched over Kılıçdaroğlu's statements to the press in November following a visit he paid to Mustafa Balbay and Mehmet Haberal, who are both jailed in Silivri Prison as part of an investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government. During his speech, Kılıçdaroğlu likened Silivri Prison to “concentration camps” and said he could not accept calling the judges hearing the Ergenekon case “judges.”

Silivri Public Prosecutor Ali İşgören launched an investigation into Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks and accused him of “attempting to influence a fair trial” and “insulting a public official."