HDP demanded a parliamentary investigation on the murder of Tahir Elçi
HDP's group deputy chairman and Diyarbakir MP İdris Baluken made an application to Turkish parliamentray speaker's office for a parliamentary investigation on the murder of Tahir Elçi.
Baluken stated that the murder of Tahir Elçi must be politically assessed. In his petition, he reminded the statements of Tahir Elçi that he made before his murder: “In this ancient region, in this place that belongs to humanity, we don't want clashes, operations and wars anymore.”
Pointing out that Elçi devoted his life to find and punish the perpetrators of unidentified murders, Baluken also reminded the process of Hrant Dink's assassionation.
“It is similar to the way Hrant Dink was murdered”
He was the target of some groups that are known to be the perpetrators of unidentified murders and supporterts of AKP government. He was subjected to a lynching campaign, because he said that PKK is not a terrorist organization on a TV show. Pro-government media organs and groups that are similar to the ones in '90s incited this campaign everyday. The investigation that was opened after this TV show was considered as the political contribution to this lynching campaign. He stated that he was receiving death threats. The process that led to Tahir Elçi's murder is similar to the process that led Hrant Dink's murder.
“Murdered by the lynching regime”
Noting the developments after the murder of Tahir Elçi, Baluken stated in his petition:
“Tahir Elçi devoted his life to human rights and legal struggles. He focused on the unidentified murders and tried to find and punish the perpetrators. The attitude of state toward his murder shows that they try to manipulate the case with contradictory statements, rather than solving it. Pro-government media organs publish all kinds of indecent stories in order to contribute to this manipulation. However, the legacy of struggle that is left by Tahir Elçi will be carried by his colleagues and the people who think like him. Carrying the judicial procedure of Tahir Elçi's murder is the duty and responsibility of the judicial authorities, but the parliament should also be a part of this investigation, since this murder has a political dimension and he was killed because of a lynching regime.”
