Can Atalay, while acting as the lawyer for Taksim Solidarity, which was established to prevent the construction of a shopping mall in Gezi Park, was included in the case as a defendant. He was detained and tried for the charge of “attempting to abolish the government of the Republic of Turkey” and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. In the 2023 general elections, he was elected as a deputy for the Hatay province from the Workers’ Party of Turkey and gained the right to enter Parliament. Atalay applied to the Constitutional Court, citing the violation of his rights to “elect, be elected, and engage in political activity.” The Constitutional Court ruled that his rights to “be elected and engage in political activity” and “personal liberty and security” were violated. However, the Supreme Court, stating that “the Constitutional Court’s violation decision has no legal value,” led to the revocation of Can Atalay’s deputyship on January 30, 2024, through a decision read by the Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, Bekir Bozdağ.
Resources:
https://www.sessizkalma.org/tr/savunucu/can-atalay
https://www.akdenizgercek.com.tr/can-atalay-kimdir-nerelidir-neden-tutuklandi