Turkish-Armenian MP Garo Paylan (Peoples’ Democratic Party) is going to face a lawsuit for a recent remark criticizing the constitutional reforms.
The complaint has been filed by Arif Kurtoglu, the head of a local branch of the Great Unity Party, who accuses Paylan of inseminating hatred and revenge in the society.
He has threatened to strip the lawmaker off mandate, as well as Turkish citizenship.
In a speech at a parliamentary debate on constitutional reforms, Paylan said the first copy of Turkey’s Constitution was elaborated by Armenians, adding that the country plunged into a chaos after the authorities proposed amendments backing only the interests of Turks.
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“In that chaotic period, we lost four nations – Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians and Jews – who were either exiled from those lands in the wake of big massacres and genocides or subjected to tortures,” he said.
Representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party, and the Nationalist Movement Party boycotted Paylan’s speech. The Turkish-Armenian lawmaker faced criticism also by members of the Republican People’s Party.