Former opposition MP released from prison as part of virus measures

Former lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu was allowed to be held in an open prison and was released late on June 5 as part of measures against the novel coronavirus.

Berberoğlu has the legal right to be transferred to an open prison due to the time he already spent in prison in a previous arrest.

All inmates in the open prison were allowed to leave the prison until July 31, 2020 as part of outbreak precautions.

Three opposition lawmakers, including two Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputies and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Berberoğlu, who were stripped of their statuses as members of the Turkish Parliament, were arrested early June 5.

Istanbul deputy Berberoğlu from the CHP and Hakkari deputy Leyla Güven and Diyarbakır deputy Musa Farisoğulları from the HDP were stripped of their seats in parliament after the final verdict from the Supreme Court of Appeals over their cases were read by deputy Parliament Speaker Süreyya Sadi Bilgiç upon a presidential motion.
 
"This decision did not surprise me because there has been no improvement in the conditions of democracy in Turkey since I was released," Berberoğlu told reporters on June 4.

Referring to the remarks of CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu last week, who said, "If a price is to be paid for democracy, CHP members pay this price first," Berberoğlu said he shared the same view.

"I am aware of this… I may not be in front of you for five years, perhaps because a political ban will be implemented, but know that I am always with the CHP and I will remain with the CHP," he said.

"The Republic of Turkey is always staging a coup against the Kurds who are carrying out of democratic politics. The coup does not necessarily have to be armed. Political coups...