Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office rejected former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Tuma Çelik’s appeal over a decision prohibiting him from leaving the country as part of an ongoing case over rape allegations.
Çelik, who was dismissed from the HDP after the charges were lodged, made the appeal through his lawyer, Anadolu Agency (AA) said.
Çelik is still subject to a judicial control order and has to regularly report to the local police station.
A parliamentary commission was established to discuss the case and advised Parliament on Aug. 24 to lift his immunity.
Çelik was dismissed from his party after the allegations emerged.
The incident marked the first time a victim of domestic violence directly spoke to lawmakers at the Turkish Parliament.
The victim, identified only by the initials D.K., attended a closed-door meeting led by Ali Özkaya, the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Afyonkarahisar deputy.
D.K. reportedly told lawmakers about her experience and answered questions.
She noted that she had informed HDP lawmakers about the incident, but most had ignored her complaint, while one told her that they were busy dealing with mayors being replaced by trustees and thus could not “afford to lose a single lawmaker.”
“He raped me after we had coffee,” D.K. said, adding that he had threatened her after she told him that she would file a complaint about him with the party.
“If they hear about this, nothing will happen to me since I am a lawmaker and have parliamentary immunity. In the worst-case scenario, my political life would be over and I’ll just go to Europe and live there,” D.K. quoted Çelik as saying.
“If the community hears about this, they will just say I’m a womanizer – but neither you, your husband nor your children will be able to go out in public,” Çelik allegedly added.
Çelik’s immunity was removed shortly after the victim filed a criminal complaint.
The public prosecutor prepared a summary of proceedings, noting that there is sufficient evidence to launch a criminal case.
Meanwhile, the HDP deputy claimed the incident was a plot against him and based on “slander rather than facts,” even though the victim’s DNA could be found in samples obtained from the couch in the home of the deputy's friend, where the assault allegedly occurred.
Earlier in June, the HDP's Muş deputy Mensur Işık was accused of beating his wife in Ankara.
The party has since launched a probe into the allegations.
