HDP MPs Yıldırım and Ayhan lose seats in Turkish parliament

HDP deputies Ahmet Yıldırım and Ibrahim Ayhan have been stripped of their deputy status due to approved prison sentences given to them.

After the approval of the sentences in criminal proceedings against the HDP deputies Ahmet Yıldırım and Ibrahim Ayhan, both have lost their parliamentary seats. In total, nine members of the HDP have been stripped of parliamentarian status so far.

Yıldırım was sentenced to one year and two months in prison for "insulting the President", calling Erdoğan “would-be padishah in palace” and Ayhan for one year and three months for “spreading terrorist propaganda” as he shared on social media a photograph of United Freedom Forces (Birleşik Özgürlük Güçleri-BÖG) fighter Aziz Güler who lost his life in Rojava.

After the announcement of the legal action against two deputies, HDP MPs left the General Assembly in protest.

Before Ayhan and Yildirim, the deputy status of Figen Yüksekdağ, Nursel Aydoğan, Besime Konca and Ferhat Encu had been revoked on the grounds of approved prison sentences. On the other hand, Faysal Sariyildiz, Tuğba Hezer Öztürk and Leyla Zana lost their parliamentary seats due to absence.

In the elections of 1 November 2016, the HDP moved to the Turkish National Assembly with 59 seats. Now, the party has only 50 seats.