Wednesday, March 12, 2008 | ANKARA

The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) has complained of unequal treatment in Parliament, arguing that double standards have been applied to its 20 deputies over the immunity enjoyed by parliamentarians.

A delegation led by Ahmet Türk, the DTP's parliamentary group deputy leader, visited President Abdullah Gül yesterday and Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan late Monday to express the party's unease with the situation.

According to Türk, the judiciary ignores the DTP deputies' right to immunity and continues to prosecute them without waiting for a waiver from Parliament. Turkish lawmakers who enjoy broad immunity rights are exempted from any prosecution unless Parliament lifts his or her immunity. Many DTP deputies face legal proceedings over their statements on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its imprisoned chieftain Abdullah Öcalan.

“A different implementation has been applied to our deputies. The judiciary carries on with the suits without Parliament's consent. It is clearly in violation of Turkish law,” Türk said, speaking to reporters late Monday. 

But Toptan, instead of pacifying the DTP delegation, advised them to control the rhetoric of party officials outside Parliament especially those on the PKK's terrorist activities. The DTP refuses to denounce the PKK's terrorism and calls on the government to negotiate with the terrorist organization.