Turkish Minister faces censure motion over PKK surrenders

The main opposition party submitted a censure motion against the interior minister on Wednesday over the accusations that the government told prosecutors to arrange PKK group surrendered from N.Iraq to avoid prosecution in Turkey.

34 members of PKK from Makhmour refugee camp and Qandil Mountain surrendered to Turkish authorities at Habur border gate within government's Kurdish opening.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) presented a censure motion against Interior Minister Besir Atalay to the Office of Parliament Speaker.

The Ministry of Interior was assigned with the coordination of Kurdish opening.

"We request the parliament to discuss a censure motion against Atalay, who has affected the judicial process of members of the terrorist organization, mobilized state facilities to ensure a special trial order, violated laws not to arrest members of the terrorist organization, made bargaining that guided the judiciary, and carried out secret negotiations," Kemal Anadol, the deputy chairman of CHP group at parliament, told a press conference in Ankara.

The Interior Ministry had denied the claims in a statement that read: “The Turkish Republic is a state governed by the rule of law. All legal procedures vis-à-vis the returning group were carried out by independent judicial bodies in accordance with their authority. No interference came from our ministry.”

Erdogan's government hopes broadening Kurdish rights will help end the conflict with the outlawed PKK. More than 40,000 people have died since the PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984.

/World Bulletin/