Maternity leave proposal hits a deadlock in Parliament

Discussions on the legislative proposal expected to be on the agenda of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey this week, which would extend maternity leave from 16 to 24 weeks and include those currently on leave, have been postponed to a later date because a sufficient number of members could not be reached despite two roll calls during the session.

Behind the deadlock in Parliament was the fact that both ruling and opposition parties wanted some articles of the proposal, particularly those regarding social media regulation, to be withdrawn. When no consensus could be reached on this issue, a roll call was requested, but the required majority could not be gathered.

ACCUSATIONS AT THE CENTER OF THE DEBATE

AK Party Group Deputy Chairman Leyla Şahin Usta pointed to the opposition as the source of the problem, stating on her social media account: "Unfortunately, the opposition parties have blocked the hope of tens of thousands of our families waiting for maternity leave. They requested a roll call so that Parliament would not work and laws would not pass. However, when it came to the roll call; all 138 CHP deputies, all 30 IYI Party deputies, and all 56 DEM Party deputies personally caused the closure of Parliament by 'NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE ROLL CALL.' While the rights of the nation, the expectations of mothers, and the hopes of families are at stake, they sacrificed this process, which cannot afford to lose even a single day, to political calculations."

However, former AK Party deputy Şamil Tayyar also joined the discussions on social media, stating that it was not correct to blame only the opposition. Tayyar said, "Today, there was an important legislative proposal regarding maternity leave on the agenda of the TBMM General Assembly. The general assembly closed because there was no majority, as has happened frequently in recent times. Our Group Deputy Chairman Leyla Şahin Usta blamed the opposition, who requested the roll call and did not attend the session:

'While the rights of the nation, the expectations of mothers, and the hopes of families are at stake, they sacrificed this process, which cannot afford to wait even a single day, to political calculations.'

If this law was of such vital importance, where were the 275 AK Party and 46 MHP deputies? If the members of the ruling party had attended the session, the opposition's roll call action would have been void. The primary duty to make Parliament work belongs to the members of the ruling party. You cannot have ruling party deputies not come to Parliament and then get angry at the opposition for requesting a roll call. That didn't work, Madam Chair. We must first prick ourselves with the needle before pointing it at the opposition. It is a pity for the efforts of our President and Devlet Bey."

While the failure to reach a majority in Parliament delays the passage of the law on maternity leave by at least another week, this crisis has brought the debate on responsibility within the government-opposition balance to the forefront. As tens of thousands of families turn their eyes to next week for the law to be implemented as soon as possible, whether similar deadlocks will occur again in the TBMM remains a matter of curiosity.