HEDEP Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan responds to Bahçeli's 'profanity' defense: 'Know your place'

Speaking for the first time at his party's group meeting in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP) Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan harshly criticized MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli for defending the profanity directed by Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Celal Adan at HEDEP's Sırrı Sakık.

Bakırhan, who took aim at MHP leader Bahçeli for defending the profanity scandal in Parliament, stated the following:

"MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli today even counted the defense of a democratic republic as membership in an organization. While we were expecting an apology from Bahçeli, Bahçeli embraced those words. By defending his own deputy, the MHP Chairman actually showed us another reality. They have no purpose other than defending profanity and anti-democratic practices. When you remove profanity and insults from their speeches, nothing remains of them. He is defending Celal Adan. For words that a person cannot even utter, Bahçeli says, 'They are apt words.' As a group, we do not recognize such a deputy speaker. Know your place. You may have mafias behind you; we have the people behind us. There are Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Alevis, and laborers."

EMPHASIS ON KIŞANAK AND ATALAY

In his speech, reminding that the last 20 years of the Republic have passed under AKP rule, Bakırhan said that marginalizing and homogenizing policies have increased even further during the AKP-MHP era and stated, "A non-democratic republic has gone no further than being formal. In the century we have left behind, what remains in our hands is a so-called republic far from democracy."

Regarding the process of Gültan Kışanak, who has not been released despite the maximum 7-year detention period expiring, and TİP MP Can Atalay, who has not been released despite the Constitutional Court's (AYM) 'violation of rights' ruling, he said, "The existing law is being attempted to be murdered."