Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputies started a sit-in at the General Assembly to protest the Turkish Parliament which revoked the seat of HDP MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu.

The General Assembly of the Parliament read out the final judicial decision on Gergerlioğlu and stripped him of his MP status on Wednesday. Gergerlioğlu did not quit the General Assembly after the decision was read out.

Deputies from opposition parties supported Gergerlioğlu and did not leave the General Assembly.

HDP and other opposition parties reacted to Celal Adan, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, who demanded the removal of HDP MP Gergerlioğlu from the General Assembly.

As tensions arose, AKP İzmir MP Alpay Özalan tried to get Gergerlioğlu out of the Assembly using violence. The HDP MP responded, saying, “I will resist in the Parliament as much as I can.”

While the ruling AKP and MHP parties left the General Assembly, HDP's parliamentary group launched a sit-in at the General Assembly to protest the decision. The Assembly session was then postponed to next week.

HDP MPs displayed banners that said "Gergerlioğlu is Turkey's conscience", "He has demanded justice for everyone," "He revealed strip-searches," "He did not remain silent to femicides", "He supported those seeking justice", "He challenged poverty", "He always opposed the police violence", "He supported the struggle of the people dismissed by the gov’t" and "He voiced the unsolved murders everywhere".

HDP Co-Chair Mithat Sancar came to the General Assembly for support. A picture of Gergerlioğlu was left near the parliament rostrum.

SANCAR: THIS IS A POLITICAL OPERATION

In a statement here, Sancar said, "It makes no sense to explain the loss of Gergerlioğlu's seat based on laws. This is a political operation."

Sancar added; "It is a new coup on democracy. This is a new blow to the Assembly. Therefore, speaking about laws here only serves the purpose of persecution. There is no law and constitution. There is a coup operation, yet there is also the resistance of the HDP. There is no doubt that we will continue to stand firm against the attacks. We will never bow down. We will maintain our insistence on democratic politics.”