09.01.2026 22:30
After resigning from the CHP and joining the AK Party, Mersin Deputy Hasan Ufuk Çakır received a reaction from former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Bülent Arınç for giving a military salute to President Erdoğan during his badge-wearing ceremony. Without naming Çakır, Arınç implicitly criticized him, stating, "Unfortunately, such actions are sometimes repeated by others as well, and they lower the level of politics. They also destroy the reputation of politicians in the eyes of the public."
After being referred to disciplinary action with a request for expulsion from CHP, Mersin Deputy Hasan Ufuk Çakır resigned and recently joined the AK Party. During the AK Party group meeting, President Erdoğan pinned the badge on Çakır. Çakır's statement during the program, "There are two commanders-in-chief; one is Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the other is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," and his military salute to Erdoğan drew attention.
RESPONSE FROM BULENT ARINÇ TO HASAN UFUK ÇAKIR
Former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Bülent Arınç, reacted to Çakır. Without naming him, Arınç stated that such actions lower the degree of politics.
"I WAS EXTREMELY ASTONISHED"
In a post on his social media account, Arınç said: "I was extremely astonished by the speech and behavior of a deputy following his joining our party at the last group meeting; I felt embarrassed on my own behalf. The old ones use the word 'tabasbus' for such situations. Cemil Meriç has a very beautiful saying on this matter: 'No grace is worth a humiliating tabasbus.' To make it more understandable for today, we can say that human dignity and personality are above all material and spiritual interests.
"DESTROYING THE REPUTATION OF POLITICIANS"
Unfortunately, such actions are sometimes repeated by others, and they lower the degree of politics. They also completely destroy the reputation of politicians in the eyes of the public. When I was the speaker of the assembly, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was ranked seventh in a survey of reliable institutions. We raised this through our efforts and the stance we took.
"THESE NAMES OWE A DEBT TO THEIR OWN VOTERS"
The reputation of the assembly is the reputation of the deputies; the reputation of the deputies is the reputation of the political institution. No one has the right to lower this. Thank God, in our first ten years, we brought great prestige to our assembly and politicians. The mentioned behaviors show that we could go even further back and that the political institution could lose its level through unqualified people. I kindly ask all deputies to avoid such behaviors.
My perspective on deputy transfers is as follows. Firstly, these names owe a debt to their own voters. They need to repay this debt. Moreover, there is also a right of the community at stake. They must first reconcile with their voters. Secondly, they need to leave their old habits in the party they joined and do work that can be beneficial to the public and their party in terms of quality."