Expelled Hüseyin Kocabıyık: The AK Party has made the greatest joke in our political history

Kocabıyık stated, "The AK Party has made the greatest joke in our political history. As is known, they expelled me from the party last week. The reason for expulsion stated in the notice they sent is exactly as follows: 'participating in, supporting, or personally engaging in activities, actions, and transactions contrary to the party's charter and program, and to the universal fundamental rules and norms of democracy, human rights, and law.' This is not a joke; the AK Party has expelled me for my actions contrary to democracy, law, and human rights. We thank these friends for their contribution to political humor, but what about the seriousness?"

Kocabıyık shared his defense with the words, "The very clever friends on the AK Party's central disciplinary board apparently did not like my defense and prevented this text from entering the party archives. I had no intention of doing so, but in the face of this situation, ensuring that my defense enters the archives of Turkey has become a duty for me."

The defense that Kocabıyık also published on his social media account is as follows:

"My expulsion from the AK Party is being requested on the grounds of 'participating in, supporting, or personally engaging in activities, actions, and transactions contrary to the party's charter and program, and to the universal fundamental rules and norms of democracy, human rights, and law.'

If your board is basing my expulsion on this justification, it is clearly being ironic and displaying a great lack of seriousness. Throughout my entire life, as well as during the time I engaged in politics within the AK Party, I believed in the values contained in the AK Party's founding declaration and program; I fought for democracy, law, and human rights. In fact, the current problem is that the AK Party has begun to pursue policies that are clearly contrary to these principles and values.

I do not need any defense, as everyone knows everything. However, I find it useful to identify the following points as clearly as the sun in political history:

The AK Party is a political institution that has served the Turkish nation for a significant part of its long years in power. It has also led historical developments in terms of universal values such as democracy, law, and human rights. Indeed, democrats like us supported the AK Party within the framework of their political tendencies precisely because of this mission.

However, in recent times, the party has followed a political path contrary to all the values that brought it into existence. Essentially, all our objections are against this development.

Disloyalty was shown to all the values contained in the Party Founding Declaration, program, and charter. The current Constitution of the Republic of Turkey was disobeyed. The decisions of the Constitutional Court were not followed. ECHR decisions were not recognized, even though they are constitutional provisions. A judicial order aimed at serving personal political ambitions was created. Law and justice were turned into tyranny. The AK Party was put at legal risk with attitudes and political decisions contrary to Article 24 of the Constitution.

Instead of improving our democracy, the boundaries were narrowed. Opposition elements, journalists, intellectuals, and students were tried to be disciplined by being thrown into prison. Finally, political rivals were tried to be liquidated through the judiciary, forgetting our own experiences and what we have been through. It was never wondered why some people who were executives and deputies in this party became wealthy.

As a result: The minarets were toppled. The domes were collapsed. Affection was removed from the mosques. Believers were turned into soldiers of an unjust order. I am about to be expelled from a political party that has been brought to this state. I have put a lot of effort and shed a lot of sweat for the Justice and Development Party. There are also many values that this party has gained for me.

First and foremost, I met very good people and friends. And of course, I am leaving with some good memories that I will protect until the end of my life. The lines above and the findings of this nature were not written out of opposition concerns. I hope the Justice and Development Party starts defending the values in its founding texts and program again and continues to serve the Turkish nation with strong values as it did before. This is my sincere wish. This is all I have to say."

News Source: 12punto