Turkey's main opposition divided over lifting of MPs' immunities

Cracks have emerged within the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) over a decision to lend support to a government proposal on a provisional change in the constitution that would allow parliament to lift the immunities of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers and others for one time only.

The CHP has officially announced its support for the proposal, despite affirming its "unconstitutionality."
Speaking in a live interview with private broadcaster CNN Türk late on April 13, CHP head Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu said his party would be accused of "supporting the HDP and obstructing the fight against terrorism" if it said "no" to the proposal. However, he also said the CHP deemed the proposal "unconstitutional."

Within 24 hours after this statement, a former deputy chair of the party, CHP's Istanbul deputy Sezgin Tanr?kulu publicly raised his objection to this party decision which apparently came as a move aimed at rising to the challenge by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

"I did not find and I do not find discussing immunities by getting locked up by the AKP's engineering of political interests and agenda; full stop!" Tanr?kulu said in a message posted to his Twitter account late on April 14.

"Let nobody have a doubt; at any cost, we will not let a second 'March 2, 1994 coup' to take place at parliament via the issue of immunities," Tanr?kulu said, in an apparent reference to lifting the immunities of four deputies of the now-defunct pro-Kurdish Democratic Labor Party (DEP) - a predecessor of the HDP - on charges of helping the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

Previously, Leyla Zana, currently an HDP deputy; Hatip Dicle, Selim Sadak and late Orhan Do?an had been elected for the now...