09.04.2025 16:11
During the "coup" discussions in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), the "Bektaşi joke" recounted by AK Party Rize Deputy Harun Mertoğlu stirred up controversy. CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir reacted strongly to these remarks, while Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Bekir Bozdağ granted Mertoğlu the floor again to correct his statements and apologize.
The General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly convened under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Bekir Bozdağ to discuss the 'Climate Law Proposal'. During the section where members of parliament spoke, AK Party Istanbul Deputy Adem Yıldırım made evaluations, stating, "The statement made by Özgür Özel, who was elected as the CHP Chairman through a dubious congress and who went to an extraordinary congress without even waiting for the court's decision, accepting that the congress was dubious from the outset and did not allow any candidates, is unfortunately indicative of a dubious chairman. This statement is an attempt to conceal the corruption and theft crimes in CHP municipalities. However, instead of calling the CHP's İBB Chairman, who embezzled the money of 16 million Istanbulites, 'Cukka başı' (the head of embezzlement), Özgür Özel's shift from embezzlement to junta is a sign of his admiration for the English," he said.
"LET'S BE CONSCIENTIOUS"
In response to Yıldırım's statements, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır took the floor, saying, "The 1980 coup, the coup carried out by Evren, was a coup against the right and left of the country, its youth, and its intellectuals. Many politicians were imprisoned during the 1980 coup. Who imprisoned them? The junta did. I calculated how long each of them stayed in prison during the junta period; 7 years. I accounted for the members of parliament and mayors elected from 2010 to the present, Mehmet Haberal, Tuncay Özkan, Engin Alan, Selahattin Demirtaş, all of them. Well, isn't it a period of democracy, not a junta period? How long did they stay in prison? 95 years and 2 months. I ask, one is the junta period created by Kenan Evren, the other is your government; for God's sake, let's be conscientious, today 296 of our friends, our youth are in prison. Today the indictment was announced, a political ban is being requested; still, the court has not given a release decision, and the YÖK President says, 'Throw these kids out.' February 28 was a coup, you called it a 'Coup.' On February 28, I, my Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel, and you were in the squares and streets for the ban on our headscarf-wearing brothers and friends, our classmates, weren't we?" While saying this, AK Party Istanbul Deputy Adem Yıldırım replied, "Why didn't we see it?" Başarır then said, "Ask Abdullah Güler, he is the one who took me from the police, your group chairman; sit down. Now, I ask: Which of us was arrested? Which of us did the YÖK President say, 'Expel from school'?"
"CALLING OUR PRESIDENT 'JUNTA' IS A CONTRADICTION"
AK Party Group Deputy Chairman Abdulhamit Gül, in response to CHP's Başarır, said, "We do not accept the comparison of the activities carried out by our government, which is elected with the support of our nation and serves our nation, with the 12 September period, a coup period, or even saying 'It is worse.' We absolutely do not accept the term 'junta' used by the CHP Chairman against our President, and we return these statements exactly as they are. The CHP should first look at its own political history to use such expressions. Throughout the democracy struggle experienced in Turkey, the CHP has always stood alongside the junta as a support for all illegitimate and anti-democratic elements. The CHP has always opposed the values of this nation, the will that comes out of the ballot box. What the CHP is uncomfortable with is the will that comes out of the ballot box, the will of the nation, the people themselves. The CHP is uncomfortable with this nation, the CHP is uncomfortable with this people. The 'junta' you refer to is a rampant, anti-democratic force that fights against the votes of the nation, against the will of the nation. Today, calling our President, who has always come to power with the votes of the nation, 'junta' is, at the very least, the greatest contradiction in this sense, it is not to know Turkey, it is not to know this nation," he said.
"VOTES ARE INCREASING, CHP IS COMING, TRUMP SENDS REGARDS"
While discussions continued in the General Assembly, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır took the floor, saying, "Let's take a good look at the coup periods: the results of the 1954 general elections, look, the black areas are the Democratic Party's, the red ones are the CHP's; we are very behind. The results of the 1957 general elections: the black areas are the Democratic Party's, the red areas are the CHP's, there is a significant increase. I come to the results of the 2019 local elections; all the yellow areas are the AK Party, the red areas are the CHP. I come to the 2024 local elections. The majority of the red areas are CHP, the yellow ones are the Justice and Development Party. Why am I saying this? After the elections in '57 and our increase in votes, Turan Güneş published that famous civil manifesto; it was our party that stood for the people's will, for freedom, and a coup occurred. We all knew that there were foreign powers behind this coup, the USA and others. The same thing happened in the March 19 coup, look, the votes are increasing, the CHP is coming; Trump sends his regards. Should I say it? Whenever there has been a coup and junta in this country, the USA has been behind it; whoever they favor, whoever they praise, know that there is definitely something strange about it. My party leaders Deniz Baykal and Bülent Ecevit were in prison during the 80 coup. Where was Tayyip Bey? He was playing football in Kasımpaşa," he evaluated.
CHP'S TANRIKULU THREW HIS PAPERS FROM THE PODIUM
In the General Assembly, regarding the research proposal titled 'To investigate all aspects of the serious human rights violations that occurred during the protests starting on March 19, 2025, and the political and administrative processes that paved the way for these violations, and to inform the public correctly,' submitted by the İYİ Party to the TBMM Presidency, CHP Diyarbakır Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu took the floor. Tanrıkulu stated that torture and ill-treatment were taking place in prisons, saying, "If a security officer who tortures or mistreats has the minister behind him, will he do it again or not? I ask your conscience. Let me read you the judge's statement. I also went to the 6th floor, the 7th floor, with lawyers, to the prosecutor; they are going to submit a petition, the girl is having a nervous breakdown. The lawyers have written a petition. On the 7th floor, in front of the counter, they cannot reach the prosecutor, they are meeting with the prosecutor's clerk. The clerk turns around after 2 minutes and says, 'We do not accept your petition.' Friends, this is the picture, you created this picture. There were prosecutors whose doors we knocked on during the state of emergency and martial law, there were prosecutors we went to. You cannot meet with the prosecutor's clerk. A little conscience, just a little conscience, damn it really, damn it. Damn it to those who allow torture. Really, it is shameful, there cannot be this much silence," he expressed. Tanrıkulu then threw the papers he had in his hand to the ground.
"FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION DOES NOT GIVE THE RIGHT TO CALL THE PRESIDENT 'JUNTACID'
Speaking on behalf of the AK Party group, Rize Deputy Harun Mertoğlu said, "They asked a Bektaşi, 'Why don't you pray?' He replied, 'Allah says in the Quran, do not approach prayer.' But when they reminded him that it says 'when drunk' at the beginning of the verse, the Bektaşi said, 'I am not a hafiz, I cannot know that much.'"
He began his words by saying, "The suggestion of the İYİ Party Group reminded me of this joke for some reason." He then stated that his party has taken many steps in the field of human rights and read Articles 12, 25, and 34 of the Constitution. Mertoğlu said, "However, there are also second paragraphs of the same articles that you do not want to see and that do not suit your interests. The second paragraph of Article 34 states, 'The right to assemble and demonstrate can only be restricted by law for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of others.' These second paragraphs briefly say: Fundamental rights and freedoms are not unlimited. For example, freedom of expression does not give the right to call the President, who sits in the chair of the Republic established by Atatürk, and who received 52% of the votes, a 'coup plotter.' Freedom of expression does not give the right to insult and curse the President, his deceased mother, and his family. The right to organize meetings and demonstrations does not give security forces the right to attack with acid, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails. The right to assemble and demonstrate cannot be used with the intention of harming the country's economy under the name of 'boycott,'" he said. Mertoğlu also added that the concept of torture has disappeared from the literature in Turkey and that they trust the judiciary.
"WE EXPECT AN APOLOGY"
Following the statements of AK Party member Mertoğlu, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir said, "The esteemed speaker told us an unnecessary and cold joke at the beginning of his speech, but while telling this joke, we saw him in a divisive, derogatory, and exclusionary definition of a segment of society. We invite him to correct his words. Otherwise, we want to assume that he and no one else would engage in such an accusatory attitude towards a segment of society under this roof, and we expect an apology from him," he said.
"I DID NOT ACT WITH INTENT TO DISCRIMINATE"
In response to Emir, AK Party's Mertoğlu said, "What we are talking about is something that everyone can access on the internet and social media, something that is already said about Nasreddin Hodja and Bektaşi. I was a member of the Human Rights and Equality Institution, which is an institution for combating discrimination. I know better than anyone what constitutes discrimination. Therefore, I did not act with the intent to discriminate. I told that joke in reference to those who read the first paragraphs of the articles in the Constitution but ignore the second paragraphs," he said.
"YOU WILL KNOW YOUR LIMITS"
While altercations occurred among the members of parliament in the General Assembly, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir took the floor, saying, "I could not have imagined such a style and attitude suited to him, but he thinks it suits him. Then I have the right to speak now; neither you nor anyone else can use such exclusionary and derogatory attitudes and words towards any belief group in this country, including Alevis and Bektaşis. You will know your limits, you will know your rights, you will know your boundaries. You will not say, 'I heard it on social media,' 'Nasreddin Hodja said,' or 'I read it on the internet.' Look, if this is done, if this path is opened, everyone will come here and tell a derogatory joke about another group, and you will be left behind. Come, correct it, apologize," he evaluated.
"I RETURN IT TO YOU"
İYİ Party Group Deputy Chairman Buğra Kavuncu, regarding the research proposal submitted by his party, stated, "You cannot call the research proposal of any political party that submits a research proposal under this roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey a 'joke.' If you are already saying 'like a joke' to such a research proposal, it is a reflection of your insensitivity, lack of conscience, and lack of awareness regarding everything that is happening, and I return it to you," he expressed.
"IT IS THE WEALTH OF OUR COUNTRY"
While discussions continued in the General Assembly, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Bekir Bozdağ stated, "Of course, the diversity of beliefs and colors in our country is our greatest strength and wealth. In the Quran, colors and languages are described as signs of Allah; these are our very precious values and existences. It is natural for each of our members of parliament to strive to use a language that does not hurt the people of our country while speaking at the podium; therefore, there is no need for a reminder in this regard. The elders say, 'A bad example does not set a precedent,' meaning that if things told or said in different times hurt or divide people, it is more appropriate not to use them to convey our message," he said.
"IF THEY ARE OFFENDED, I APOLOGIZE"
Bozdağ gave the floor again to AK Party's Mertoğlu to correct his words. In response, AK Party's Mertoğlu said, "I have not said anything targeting any belief group, nor have I said anything that is discriminatory or belittling towards any belief group. But if they are offended regarding such a belief group, I apologize, of course; our concern is different. We are addressing those who read the first paragraph of the articles in the Constitution incorrectly and do not read the second paragraph. Otherwise, we cannot have any situation of making a statement regarding any belief group," he said.
PROTESTING BY REMAINING SILENT AT THE PODIUM
While discussions continued on the Climate Law Proposal in the General Assembly, CHP Elazığ Member of Parliament Gürsel Erol, speaking on behalf of his party, said, "We are discussing a very important law that also concerns future generations. The commission is present, Mr. President, the board is present, the New Path group, the İYİ Party, the MHP, the DEM Party, and the CHP are here, but the AK Party group is not. Is there such a lack of seriousness? I count from left to right; there are 15 members of parliament. While a law proposal brought by the ruling party is being discussed, shouldn't the members of that ruling party be present in the General Assembly? Why are you discrediting this Assembly? You sit in rooms or elsewhere without even feeling the need to support the law proposal you brought. The duty of this Assembly is to make laws; everyone shares their thoughts for or against. A law proposal has come, it has been discussed in the commission. Dear AK Party members, you are a small group, at least do not intervene and listen. You look at the General Assembly, the AK Party group only comes to vote. They do not even know where to vote. Therefore, Mr. President, I have 7 minutes, instead of making a speech, I will silently wait here to protest the AK Party group for not being present to support the proposal they brought," he evaluated. Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Bekir Bozdağ read Article 60 of the Internal Regulations and stated that the remaining part should not be used. However, CHP's Erol said he would conclude his speech with a greeting. Then Erol concluded his speech with a greeting.