Tension in Parliament over Kurdish 'May God damn you'

The Climate Law Proposal, which began deliberations in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in April but faced backlash from the opposition and various social segments over certain articles, has been brought back to the parliamentary agenda. Taking the floor regarding the 5th article of the proposal, DEM Party İzmir MP Burcugül Çubuk said "May God damn you" in Kurdish as she was leaving the podium after her speech.

When other MPs could not understand Burcugül Çubuk's words, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Pervin Buldan translated them into Turkish.

AKP Group Deputy Chair Leyla Şahin Usta stated that Çubuk's words were unbecoming of the Parliament, saying, "There is nothing more wrong than cursing the nation from the nation's podium. The honorable deputy should apologize, and please, this should not be permitted."

DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit reacted, saying, "I want to state that I do not accept the concept of 'a language we do not understand' here. Even though the speaker herself is Turkish, she spoke in Kurdish and also expressed the Turkish translation. We should be discussing whether what was said is appropriate or not."

Taking the floor to explain her remarks, Çubuk said, "I see that it has been understood in a way that exceeds my intent. My intent was directed at those who commit environmental destruction. I believe this anger is natural. I had no intention of using rude language toward any deputy. We have no concerns about retracting our words."