Turkish prosecutors have asked parliament to lift the immunity of New Party leader Özgür Özel and lawmaker Veli Ağbaba over allegations that they accepted bribes on multiple occasions while they were senior members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkish Minute reported. The alleged benefits were provided directly to Özel or through Ağbaba on several occasions, according to the prosecutor’s office. If parliament lifts immunity, the lawmaker can be questioned, prosecuted and held in pretrial detention but does not automatically lose his or her seat. The Turkish parliament receives a large number of immunity requests, many of which remain pending for years. Crackdown on CHP municipalitiesThe immunity requests come amid a continuing crackdown on CHP-run municipalities following the party’s gains in the 2024 local elections.