HDP lawmaker changes Turkish parliamentary oath

ANKARA

A lawmaker from the Peoples’ Democratic People (HDP) on Tuesday defied the parliamentary speaker while taking her oath of office.

Leyla Zana, a politician from the eastern province of Agri, prefaced her oath with the remark “In hope of an honorable and permanent peace” in Kurdish before referring to “Turkey's nation” instead of the “Turkish nation”.

After reading the oath, Zana left the assembly chamber, refusing the speaker’s order to retake the oath according to the official text.

“The oath text was not read the same and it cannot be accepted as if it was read same,” Speaker Deniz Baykal said.

He added that deputies could not change the text according to their personal preferences. Zana will be called to retake her oath again.

Her alteration at the swearing-in ceremony for Turkey’s 26th parliament mirrored an incident at her 1991 oath-taking ceremony when she added the words "I take this oath in the name of Turkish and Kurdish peoples' brotherhood”.

Turkey’s new parliament had its first session Tuesday, five days after the Supreme Election Council revealed the official results of the Nov. 1 general election.

ANKARA

A lawmaker from the Peoples’ Democratic People (HDP) on Tuesday defied the parliamentary speaker while taking her oath of office.

After reading the oath, Zana left the assembly chamber, refusing the speaker’s order to retake the oath according to the official text.

“The oath text was not read the same and it cannot be accepted as if it was read same,” Speaker Deniz Baykal said.

He added that deputies could not change the text according to their personal preferences. Zana will be called to retake her oath again.

Turkey’s new parliament had its first session Tuesday, five days after the Supreme Election Council revealed the official results of the Nov. 1 general election.