On 12 April 2016, the National Assembly adopted a constitutional amendment which added a provisional Article 20 to the Constitution. Provisional Article 20 reads: “On the date when this Article is adopted in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the provision of the first sentence of the second paragraph of Article 83 of the Constitution shall not be applied to the deputies who have files regarding the lifting of the parliamentary immunity which were submitted from the competent authorities authorized to investigate or give investigation or prosecution permit, Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices and courts to the Ministry of Justice, the Prime Ministry, Office of Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the Presidency of Joint Committee consisting of the members of Constitution and Justice Commissions.
Within fifteen days as of the entry into force of this Article, the files in the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Prime Ministry and Ministry of Justice regarding the lifting of parliamentary immunities shall be returned to the competent authority under the presidency of the Joint Commission composed of the members of Constitution and Justice Commissions so as to take the required actions.”