Turkey’s parliament waives diplomatic immunity of Syriac MP Tuma Çelik

MERDE / MARDIN / ANKARA – Turkey’s parliament waived the diplomatic immunity of former People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and now independent Syriac Member of Turkish Parliament Tuma Çelik after authorities fabricated allegations and charges of sexual assault. The fabricated allegations and charges form a harsh counter-measure and reveal the extent to which the rights of Turkey’s ethnic and indigenous components are trampled and the high degree of fear for those people who dare to raise their voice – especially in Turkish Parliament – demanding the rights of the Syriac people.

In an expected move, Turkish parliament passed the unjust resolution to lift the diplomatic immunity of MP Tuma Çelik after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government failed to dissuade him from voicing and addressing the Syriac case in Turkey – from the recognition of the Sayfo Genocide 1915 massacres and ethnic cleansing, to assassinations of Syriac citizens from the 1980s, to cases related to usurpation of lands and property of Syriacs and other indigenous components – in particular the land of the historical Syriac monastery of Mor Gabriel (Dayro d’mor Gabriel).

The prosecution committee charged with investigating Syriac MP Çelik, the Supreme  Prosecution Committee of 52 Turkish deputies, recommended the lifting of the diplomatic immunity of MP Çelik in preparation for his trial for sexual assault – part of a slander and smear campaign led by the AKP government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the support of the National Movement Party (MHP), against MP Çelik with the aim of silencing the Syriac voice which advocates the national rights for the Syriac people under the roof of Turkish parliament .

The prosecution committee charged with investigating Çelik included three deputies from Turkey’s ruling AKP, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), and a fifth member from HDP. MP Tuma Çelik is expected to appear before the Turkish court to defend himself.

The case began with allegations against MP Tuma Çelik accusing him of sexual assaulting. Allegations made by a woman who later posted photographs of herself posing with Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.

In a statement to Suroyo TV, independent Syriac Member of Turkish Parliament Tuma Çelik pledged to stay in Turkey and continue to defend the rights of his Syriac people in the country.