AK Party member Hüseyin Yayman broke his silence on 'Remzi Kartal': I was there as an academic.

The reasons for the imprisonment of CHP's Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was replaced by a trustee, including his phone conversation with Remzi Kartal, one of the so-called leaders of the PKK, caused debates in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

The explanation by AK Party Hatay Deputy Hüseyin Yayman that this conversation took place in his "academic identity" was criticized by the opposition. The CHP pointed out that Ahmet Özer is also an academic, highlighting the principle of equality in law.

"WHO IS LEFT?"

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır, in his speech at the Assembly, stated, "Our Mayor has spoken on the phone with a member of a terrorist organization who is wanted with a red notice. Mr. Hüseyin, did you have dinner with him? Yes or no… Did you have dinner? Hüseyin Yayman is here, Ahmet Özer is in Silivri. Is this acceptable? If you are an AKP member, you can have dinner with a member of a terrorist organization, talk to the leader of FETÖ, go to America, but if you are an opposition, you are taken into custody and arrested. This Assembly must be freed from these shadows. Let's reveal the meetings that people who have been in politics for the last 14 years have had with organizations like FETÖ and PKK. Then who is left?" he criticized.

"MORE THAN HALF OF THE AKP SHOULD BE IN PRISON"

CHP Şanlıurfa Deputy Mahmut Tanal stated that Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was imprisoned due to his phone conversation with Remzi Kartal years ago, saying, "Right now, Mr. Hüseyin Yayman is sitting in the AKP ranks. You had dinner with Kartal. There is a principle of equality in crime and punishment. More than half of the AKP should not be there today; they should be in prison. We want equality according to Article 10 of the Constitution," he expressed.

"I HAD NO POLITICAL IDENTITY THERE"

AK Party Hatay Deputy Hüseyin Yayman responded to the criticisms directed at him, saying, "We have remained silent and listened in this discussion until now. I am a graduate of the Faculty of Political Sciences, I worked as a lecturer at Gazi University. I wrote the book 'Turkey's Kurdish Issue Memory.' In that photo, I was present as an academic and journalist at a meeting in the European Parliament regarding the resolution process. I have already written about this in the Vatan newspaper. I had no political identity there," he replied.

"I WAS THERE AS ACADEMIC"

Yayman, who stated that he met with Kartal as an academic, said, "Secondly, I am there as an academic, I have no political identity, and the most important thing is what I said there. I have said: 'There cannot be a Kurd who does not love a Turk, and there cannot be a Turk who does not love a Kurd.' We have been together for a thousand years, we are brothers, we share feelings, we share history, and we share the same future. Just as we stood together in Sultan Alparslan's army in 1071, just as we stood together in Çanakkale, just as we stood together in the Cyprus War against imperialists..." he said.

"IF HE IS A TERRORIST, WHY AREN'T YOU?"

Başarır, in response to Yayman's statement, said, "I am not accusing you. Ahmet Özer is also a professor, he spoke on the phone as a vice-rector. If he is a terrorist, why aren't you?" he reacted.

These statements raised tensions in the Assembly, while the opposition continued to express their demands for equality and justice.