18.12.2025 22:45
During the ongoing budget discussions in the Grand National Assembly, a debate that started between AK Party Deputy Hulki Cevizoğlu and CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir over the topics of "Atatürk" and "Kanal İstanbul" escalated into tension, with AK Party and CHP deputies confronting each other.
The discussions on the articles of the 2026 Central Government Budget Law Proposal continue in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).
AK PARTY'S CEVIZOGLU: WHY IS ATATURK'S 'A' LOWERCASE, IT'S A PROPER NAME? Speaking on behalf of his party in the General Assembly, which convened under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Tekin Bingöl, AK Party Istanbul Deputy Hulki Cevizoğlu, after completing his speech, directed his remarks towards the CHP benches, saying, "I want to prove now that you do not know Atatürkism. How nice, we calmed down when we mentioned Atatürk. Now I will ask you a question. Isn't Atatürk the Head Teacher? Who carried out the Alphabet Revolution, wasn't it Atatürk? Who taught the capital letter and the lowercase letter? Atatürk. Now I specifically ask my friends who are CHP deputies; it says Kemal Atatürk here. Atatürk's 'a' is a proper name, why is it lowercase? One of you should answer me. It probably hasn't even crossed your mind. Come on, say it. There cannot be Atatürkism like this. You need to study a bit about Atatürk."
AK Party Istanbul Deputy Hulki Cevizoğlu CHP'S EMIR: DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU ARE OPENING THIS DISCUSSION TODAY? YOU WANT THE PLACE YOU ARE IN TO BE SEEN WELL After Cevizoğlu's speech, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir took the floor, saying, "I remember the last Halk TV program I did with you. You were saying with all your might that Kanal Istanbul is a 'treason project', designed to abolish Montreux, and that the main screenwriter of this treason is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Do you know why you are opening this discussion today? You want the place you are in to be seen well. You want the leader to see how much of an AKP member you are. If Nazım Hikmet were watching this today, he would ask Abidin Dino, 'Can you paint a picture of the oil can?' That's all," he replied.
CEVIZOGLU: CHP IS NOT THE PARTY THAT FOUNDED THE REPUBLIC Returning to the podium, Cevizoğlu stated, "Atatürkism is not your monopoly. In my opinion, Kanal Istanbul is not enough; another canal needs to be built towards Anatolia as well. I have said this too. I understand that you are avoiding discussion on Atatürkism. You cannot defend Atatürk. The CHP is not the party that founded the Republic. Atatürk founded the Republic. Read your history first. The party that founded the Republic is not the CHP. You have become İnönü's party. Let me tell you who İnönü is; he is the person who said to Cemal Gürsel during the 1960 coup, 'We are at your command, sir. You did a great job,' İnönü," he said.
CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir EMIR: WHERE DO YOU GET THIS COURAGE FROM? In response to these remarks, CHP's Emir returned to the podium, stating, "As everyone witnessed, you could not deny that you said on Halk TV that Kanal Istanbul is a 'treason project.' He explained what he said on CNN after returning. We respect every politics. 85 million are the crown on our heads. We have no problem with AK Party members. We have no problem with those whose views change over time. But we are disgusted by those who change in a day. Who are you to ask us questions? Where do you get this courage from?" he reacted.
TENSION BETWEEN CHP AND AK PARTY DEPUTIES At this point, as Cevizoğlu was standing, Murat Emir said from the podium, "Sit down. Are you going to come here, sit down," which led to tension between CHP deputies and AK Party deputies in the General Assembly hall. Following a scuffle between some deputies who were pushing each other, the session was interrupted.