A journalist's Fahrettin Altun test: Tense moments in the studio as Bülent Arınç insists on making his point
Former Deputy Prime Minister and AKP member Bülent Arınç pointed to Communications Director Fahrettin Altun during the debate over the big radish in the saddlebag remark brought up by AKP Chairman and President Erdoğan. During this exchange, the facial expressions and gestures of the program host, journalist Talat Atilla, revealed the tension he was experiencing.
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Regarding the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Arınç stated, "Political detention should never happen. I said the same for Demirtaş. Starting with Esenyurt, for all of them, an indictment must be written first in legal proceedings, and the court must decide on the crime. Only then are arrests and similar matters evaluated. It should be the principle that a metropolitan mayor is tried without being detained."
22nd Term Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and former Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç made statements regarding the current agenda on the program "Sunday Politics with Talat Atilla" broadcast on TV 100.
Stating that he was "astonished" by the cancellation of CHP's presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma, Arınç said, "I have heard from all the administrative law professors. This diploma cannot be cancelled after 35 years; there is such a thing as a vested right. It is wrong for a university board of directors to cancel this vested right without the Higher Education Council (YÖK) making a decision. The way to handle this is to ensure the judicial path is followed," adding, "Those who hold the opinion that a setup was orchestrated are not unjustified."
'TRIAL WITHOUT DETENTION SHOULD BE THE PRINCIPLE'
Arınç also criticized the arrest of İmamoğlu and CHP mayors, stating, "Political detention should never happen. I said the same for Demirtaş. Starting with Esenyurt, for all of them, an indictment must be written first in legal proceedings, and the court must decide on the crime. Only then are arrests and similar matters evaluated. It should be the principle that a metropolitan mayor is tried without being detained."
'THE RADISH METAPHOR IS SOMETHING FAHRETTIN ALTUN MUST HAVE COME UP WITH'
Mocking the phrase "The big radishes in the saddlebag have not been spilled out yet" used by AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding the corruption investigation at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Arınç said, "The radish metaphor is something Fahrettin Altun must have come up with. He is at the head of everything, my brother. Turkey is now inside such a system. He uses a world of budget. His job is not just disinformation. May God give him ease. They are responding to the radish with a quince."
During this time, the tension experienced by journalist Talat Atilla was reflected on his face; Atilla tried to change the subject while simultaneously attempting to soften Arınç's accusatory remarks toward Fahrettin Altun.