09.12.2025 00:02
During the 2026 budget discussions in the Parliament, a debate over the "presumption of innocence" took place between AK Party member Efkan Ala and CHP member Murat Emir. Responding to Ala, who stated, "Instead of preparing projects and carrying out urban transformation to prepare Istanbul for earthquakes, a wide and deep ecosystem of corruption has been established in the İBB, which has a budget larger than that of 14 ministries," Emir said, "Ekrem İmamoğlu is innocent until he is tried and convicted."
The discussions on the 2026 Central Government Budget Law Proposal and the 2024 Central Government Final Account Law Proposal continue in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).
ALA FROM THE AK PARTY: THIS BUDGET IS A COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK REFLECTING TURKEY'S NATIONAL STANCE
Efkan Ala, Deputy Chairman of the AK Party and Bursa Deputy, spoke during the budget discussions in the TBMM General Assembly. Stating that the 2026 budget is not merely a financial document consisting of numbers, tables, and income-expenditure statements, Ala said, "This budget is a comprehensive financial framework that reflects Turkey's national stance and strategic preferences in a period where the flow of history is accelerating, global balances are being reshaped, and the world has entered an age of uncertainties."
Stating that they follow a proactive, positive, humanitarian, and virtuous foreign policy as the AK Party, Ala said, "Because we know that a world without justice as much as power, without mercy as much as wealth, and without conscience as much as opportunity produces injustice and oppression. We have witnessed the most severe example of this in Gaza, and we are still experiencing it. Turkey has been the loudest voice against this oppression," he stated.
"THEY SAY 'FIRST THINK ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF YOUR OWN SEAT'"
Ala responded to the criticisms of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel regarding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AK Party: "Mr. Özel has just stepped into the squares. We understand he is excited. The AK Party comes from the squares. When you say the voice of the squares, it is the master leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. We know how many squares we hold rallies in a day. Therefore, I recommend you to reconsider your evaluations on these matters. But do not attack our President every time you take the floor. Do not blame the AK Party every time you face difficulties. Turn to yourself and cleanse your party from suspicions. Our President is leading diplomacy in the world and politics in Turkey. Please do not try to cover up your internal problems by attacking our President and making him the subject. We are trying to solve the problems of Turkey, the region, and the world. As the second largest party in Turkey, at least solve your own problems; do not expect this from us.
You mentioned coups. The leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who stands firm against coups and does not take his hat and leave, is the AK Party cadres. The AK Party cadres who tore up the memorandums, led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. We are the ones fighting against gangs and juntas. You supported and applauded the 1960 coup, you embraced the April 27 memorandum. You are a new team, I congratulate you, but this baggage also belongs to you. Therefore, it is not easy to get rid of it, but I hope you succeed. You talk about the legitimacy issue of February 28. Our President is the first president of Turkey elected directly by the people. He was elected once again after that. He was elected once more after that. Anyone who speaks of legitimacy in such a result is talking nonsense. First, these issues should be evaluated properly, and then one should speak; otherwise, they will say, 'First think about the legitimacy of your own seat.'
"THE STEPS REQUIRED FOR TERRORISM TO BE REMOVED FROM TURKEY'S AGENDA WILL BE TAKEN WITH DETERMINATION"
Speaking about the efforts made towards the goal of a "Terror-free Turkey," Ala stated that provocations and sabotage will never be allowed during the process, saying, "Our goal of a terror-free Turkey is the name of completely eliminating terrorism with all its means, capabilities, and understanding. Since we put this goal forward as the People's Alliance, there has been broad social and political support, and our nation is providing strong support for the root solution of this problem. In this context, the terrorist organization has dissolved itself, started to lay down its arms, and the commission in the TBMM continues its work and is about to complete it. The process is being carried out with sensitivity as foreseen. Provocations and sabotage will never be allowed. The necessary steps will be taken with determination to completely remove terrorism from Turkey's and the region's agenda," he stated.
"ATTEMPTING TO COVER UP THE CORRUPTION SYSTEM WITH POLITICAL MANIPULATIONS IS MOCKING THE NATION'S INTELLIGENCE"
Regarding the İBB investigation, Ala said: "It is understood from the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and accepted by the heavy penal court that these allegations are serious. Instead of preparing projects and urban transformation to prepare Istanbul for earthquakes with a budget larger than that of 14 ministries, a wide and deep ecosystem of corruption has been established in İBB. The resources of the nation have been transferred to this corruption system for their own ambitions and desires. The existence of the nation has been plundered, and the allegations are based on this. This situation cannot be covered up with rhetoric. You cannot cover it up by dragging it into the political arena. You cannot deceive the nation by trying to create victimization from the country's largest corruption incident. Attempting to cover up the corruption system with political manipulations is mocking the nation's intelligence.
The ones who established this system, the ones who complain, the ones who are complained about, the ones who present evidence to the judiciary, and the ones who share it with the public are your party members, your delegates, your provincial heads, your district heads, your deputies, your former chairman. Your former chairman, who says that CHP needs to be purified. Should we not take the chairman seriously? If we do not take the previous chairman of the main opposition party seriously, no one will take you seriously either. Your previous chairman says, 'My party must be purified.' Your former mayor, your delegates, your deputies, who say that CHP was designed with the resources obtained from this corruption system. You are the ones who have made your party a subject of court. The corruption spiral that the second largest party in Turkey has fallen into also saddens us.
CHP'S EMIR: BE CAREFUL WHEN PLAYING WITH PEOPLE'S DIGNITY
Following Ala, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir reiterated their demands for the hearings of the İBB investigation to be broadcasted on TRT, reminding of the presumption of innocence. Emir stated: "Our friends have no accounts to give, not a single penny."
If you trust that ragged indictment, if your prosecutor trusts the indictment, if you trust the nonexistent evidence, it will be broadcast on TRT, and the entire nation will see it. There is something called the presumption of innocence for those who have a conscience, for those who know a little about rights, law, and justice. Otherwise, of course, judge us, but judge us without detention, judge us without staging a coup. With the March 19 coup, you put not only our friends but also the will of the nation behind iron bars.
And there are those who have not been tried. You know those mayors you took after July 15, who left in tears. Have they been tried, where are they? Shoe boxes found in homes, cash registers. Where are those Ministers, where were they tried? We want to be tried, but in independent courts. You will not establish new courts; you are cowardly. If there is a decision you do not want, you disperse the court, but you establish a new court for Ekrem İmamoğlu's İBB case. This is your understanding of justice and law.
"DID YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE IS?"
CHP's presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is being tried within the scope of the İBB investigation with the claim he put forward, repeated the call for the presumption of innocence. CHP member Emir said: "Did you understand what the presumption of innocence is? This is what I am saying. Mr. Ala, we did not call anyone a FETÖ member. I did not call anyone a FETÖ member without concrete evidence, but you will also say, 'Ekrem İmamoğlu is innocent until he is tried and convicted.' "