Bahçeli reacts to Numan Kurtulmuş over 'Kurdish' remarks
MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli criticized Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş regarding the Kurdish speech delivered by Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), during budget negotiations, stating, "The Parliament Speaker's remark, 'Please translate this into Turkish,' after listening to the Kurdish words, was an attitude as wrong as that of the Constitutional Court President. Such a thing cannot be."
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Budget negotiations have begun at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The first day of the budget talks, which will last for 2 weeks, was controversial and tense.
According to the report by Cumhuriyet, Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), began his speech in Kurdish.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş told Bakırhan, "As the Parliament, we also request a Turkish explanation of what you have said. This is the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey), and since our official language here is Turkish, it must be spoken in Turkish."
Upon this, Bakırhan read the Turkish version of his greeting speech, which he had delivered in Kurdish.
BAHÇELİ REACTS TO NUMAN KURTULMUŞ
MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, who criticized Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş regarding Tuncer Bakırhan's Kurdish opening speech, said the following:
"On the day the budget negotiations were held, they tried to use Kurdish expressions. Some may find this tolerable. However, I advise the Constitutional Court President and his esteemed members to embrace Turkey, acting on the spirit of the speech here. I advise them to be more careful in upholding these matters. It has been observed that many segments have become emboldened due to the attitude of the Constitutional Court, where the issue is becoming increasingly widespread. One must be careful about this. In our view, this speech was not accepted, but they have already cast their lot. Because they are throwing stones at where they will emerge, they are trying to pour out whatever is in their minds and throats. The Parliament Speaker's sentence, 'Translate it into Turkish,' after listening to the Kurdish words, was an attitude as wrong as that of the Constitutional Court President. Such a thing cannot be."