Mahmut Tanal to AKP's Akbaşoğlu: Can you explain how you became a civil servant without taking an exam?

After AKP's Akbaşoğlu said regarding the CHP's absolute nullity decision, "How are they trying to cover up clear cases of theft and shamelessness?", CHP's Günaydın reacted, saying, "I return the words 'theft and shamelessness' to you. Who are you to talk to me about thieves and the shameless?" CHP Şanlıurfa MP Mahmut Tanal also claimed that Akbaşoğlu became a civil servant without taking the KPSS (Public Personnel Selection Examination) and violated others' rights, stating, "Mr. Speaker, anyone who becomes a civil servant without taking an exam is a thief. Can you explain how you became a civil servant without taking an exam? You stole the rights of people who took the KPSS exam. Let him explain how he became a civil servant. He entered the civil service through the Private Secretary's Office, what exam are you talking about?"

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Gökhan Günaydın pointed out that the absolute nullity decision brought against the CHP is not an internal matter of a political party, stating, "It is a clear coup against democracy in Turkey. To attempt to cancel a congress held on November 4-5, 2023, with absolute nullity after a first-instance court said 'There is no problem there,' after two and a half years have passed, and despite all the clarity in the Supreme Election Council's (YSK) legislation, by another judicial body other than the YSK and its provincial organization, and without even complying with the statute of limitations, means destroying all security for both the voters and the elected in Turkey. This decision means eliminating the competitive, electoral, democratic life in Turkey, the democratic life based on political parties. This decision is also a clear manifestation of a mindset that has nothing to do with justice and law, where His Excellency says, 'I determine the presidential candidate who will run against me. If they are very strong, I will imprison them. I am afraid of them even while they are in prison, I will cancel their diploma. I decide how opposition parties will be managed, I choose who will be the chairman. I decide whether they can enter the next election or not.'"

"No one can speak against democracy in this country"

Stating that those who view the absolute nullity incident as the internal functioning of a political party are completely disconnected from the realities of Turkey, Günaydın included the following statements:

"They are explaining here, they say: 'Municipalities should be away from all kinds of affairs. They should stay away from financial matters, of course, from all kinds of disputes, from foolishness.' Well, we say, 'Bring the political ethics code, let's pass the political ethics law,' we say, 'Come on, each of you declare your assets.' I am declaring mine as an example. Is there any one of you who will declare? It doesn't work by just talking big here; you will put forward a will here, you will put forward a will so that we can see. Oh, then there is something else: 'We have nothing to do with the subject... You have nothing to do with the subject, is that so? What do you have to do with, what do you have to do with, for example? Do you have nothing to do with high inflation, high unemployment, the justice crisis, the judicial crisis, all the sensations and scandals that have emerged in the international arena?'

The CHP is a political party founded one hundred and three years ago, it is a political party of the foundation and the liberation. It has been subjected to many coups to date, many of its chairmen have been arrested, but we have emerged from all these coups stronger, just as we did yesterday, and we will continue to do so in the future. Oh, let me give you one more piece of bad news, bad news for you, very good news for the Turkish nation, for this country. The regional governor tells you, 'There is no need for democracy here, there is a need for benevolent monarchies here,' and you follow him, you cannot even publish a condemnation message, both to the regional governor and to you, let us say it to your faces, to all of you. We abolished the sultanate one hundred and four years ago, no one can speak against democracy and the republic in this country, and they will not be able to."

Akbaşoğlu: You are trying to dump your disgraces onto the AKP

AKP Group Deputy Chairman Muhammet Emin Akbaşoğlu stated that the decision regarding absolute nullity was entirely the result of the CHP's own internal strife, saying, "This issue is a result of the CHP's internal strife and internal conflict. If the CHP has set a trap within itself, it has; this has nothing to do with the government or the AKP. You should have cut off the hands of your own mayors who emptied the nation's money, the municipalities' coffers, and the coffers of public institutions by saying 'Look at the acrobat.' You should have referred them to discipline, you should have held them accountable and cleansed yourselves, but you are not doing these. You are trying to dump the disgraces you experience within yourselves onto the AKP. This nation is full, the nation rejects this perception management and calls on you to cleanse yourselves, to purify yourselves, and to hold thieves accountable."

Upon Akbaşoğlu's speech, Günaydın, who requested the floor, reacted, "Now, Mr. Akbaşoğlu is of course shouting at the top of his voice, he cannot get enough support from his own group; of course you will applaud when he raises his voice, you forgot that. Mehmet Emin Akbaşoğlu invites us to cleanse ourselves, let's leave these heroics aside. I invite him to a duel, I am Gökhan Günaydın, and he is Mehmet Emin Akbaşoğlu; let us both declare our assets together, let us set an example. Are you in, Mehmet Emin Akbaşoğlu? Come on, let's all see who can cleanse themselves and who cannot. Your assets five years before you entered the Parliament as an MP, all the assets behind it; both mine and yours. I am not accusing you, but politics is not done with heroics, but by taking such a stance. Not just you and me, let 600 MPs do this so we can see. Secondly, by God, there is no need to give you a long answer."

"Thief" polemic between AKP and CHP...

Akbaşoğlu responded to Günaydın's words by showing the decision of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice 36th Civil Chamber. Pointing out that both the plaintiffs and the defendants of the decision in question are CHP members, Akbaşoğlu said, "Both the plaintiffs and the defendants of this decision are CHP members. Look, you cannot get any results by slandering. You cannot dump your own attributes onto us by interpreting the word of truth in a false way and exploiting it. In this regard, all our friends and all of us are people who have submitted our asset declarations to the relevant institutions on time. Look, how they are trying to cover up clear cases of theft and shamelessness."

Günaydın reacted from his seat to the word "theft," noting to Akbaşoğlu, "I return the words 'theft and shamelessness' to you. I return both 'thief' and 'shameless' to you! Come on, if you are a man, do as I do, come on. Who are you to talk to me about thieves and the shameless, huh! Who are you? Who are you? Who are you to talk to me about thieves and the shameless?"

CHP Şanlıurfa MP Mahmut Tanal also claimed that Akbaşoğlu became a civil servant without taking the KPSS and violated others' rights, stating, "Mr. Speaker, anyone who becomes a civil servant without taking an exam is a thief. Can you explain how you became a civil servant without taking an exam? You stole the rights of people who took the KPSS exam. Let him explain how he became a civil servant. He entered the civil service through the Private Secretary's Office, what exam are you talking about?"

Adan: The nation will hold them accountable

TBMM Deputy Speaker Celal Adan also intervened, saying, "We are a very great nation that says 'God,' believes in the unity of our nation, believes in democracy, and does not rebel but thanks Almighty God despite having a salary of 30 thousand liras. I will tell you something sincere. The thief will be made to pay for it dearly, don't worry at all. Whoever is a thief will account for it. Whoever has robbed the state, whoever has reached for the orphan's money, they will definitely account for it. May it be poison, but I state it very strongly: This nation will hold them accountable, no matter which party they belong to."

Akbaşoğlu: It is out of the question for any issue contrary to law and legislation to be on the agenda

AKP's Akbaşoğlu, regarding the allegations in question, stated, "Mr. Speaker, since an issue regarding my private secretary position has been brought to the agenda, I would like to clarify that as well. Within the framework of the Civil Servants Law No. 657, my appointment as a private secretary at the point of exceptional civil service according to the legislation is written in my resume. As a result, my appointment was made legally in accordance with the law that all our citizens and all of us are subject to, as a private secretary with exceptional civil service; this is also clearly written in my resume. It is out of the question for any issue contrary to law and legislation to be on the agenda. I return the word 'theft' used over this to them as well."