Turkey threatens to deprive two Kurdish lawmakers of citizenship
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) - Turkish authorities on Monday released a list of 130 people seeking refuge abroad, among them two Kurdish lawmakers and a top US-based Islamic scholar, urging them to return home in three months' time or face a deprivation of citizenship.
Opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers Tugba Hezer and Faysal Sariyildiz of the provinces of Van and Sirnak respectively have been in Europe.
They fled Turkey in May 2016, when the Parliament passed a bill that lifted MP immunity from prosecution, mainly targeting HDP lawmakers.
Hezer and Sariyildiz are already under several investigations that could result in their expulsion from the Parliament; a move authorities earlier took against two other HDP MPs.
The Interior Ministry published the call to come back in the Official Gazette, adding the "fugitives" were accused of crimes varying from armed rebellion against the government and membership in a "terrorist" organization to attempting to disrupt territorial integrity of the state or separatism.
Among the wanted is the US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen whose movement the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused of masterminding a botched military coup attempt in the summer of 2016.
The self-exiled Pennsylvania resident is Turkey's top wanted, as Erdogan has over the past year unsuccessfully demanded from the US administration to extradite Gulen.
Another Kurdish politician, too, who served as a lawmaker, Ozdal Ucer would lose his citizenship if he did not return Turkey.
Most of those the Turkish government threatened with loss of citizenship were Kurds allegedly affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and followers of the once a government ally Gulen movement.
After taking the reins of the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) last month, President Erdogan vowed that those abroad who fail to appear before Turkish courts would be deprived of citizenship.
Editing by Ava Homa