'You have 5,000 apartments' debate in Parliament: Tough questions from CHP's Başarır to AKP's Gökçek

During the discussion of the motion titled 'Investigation into the Problems Caused by the Removal of the Rent Increase Cap' at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), a debate on 'corruption' broke out between CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır, Malatya MP Veli Ağbaba, and AKP Ankara MP Osman Gökçek.

During the heated exchange, CHP's Başarır said to AKP's Gökçek, "You have nothing to do with rent, Osman; mashallah, you have 5,000 apartments." As the arguments continued, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Bekir Bozdağ adjourned the session for 30 minutes. Following the break, the motion was put to a vote and rejected by the votes of the AKP and MHP.

The TBMM General Assembly convened under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Bekir Bozdağ to discuss the 'Draft Law on Amendments to the Turkish Civil Aviation Law and Certain Laws and Decree-Laws.' During the section for motions submitted by party groups to the Speaker's Office, a debate on 'corruption' broke out between CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır, Malatya MP Veli Ağbaba, and AKP Ankara MP Osman Gökçek while the DEM Party's motion titled 'Investigation into the Problems Caused by the Removal of the Rent Increase Cap' was being discussed.

Speaking on behalf of his party regarding the motion, AKP Konya MP Ziya Altunyaldız stated, "We are in control of our issues, we are in control of our economic program, and we know very well what we are doing. We share this with our nation; we are on the ground. We know about rent increases, we know about the housing issue, and we know about the troubles of our citizens left homeless in the earthquake. We prioritize making earthquake victims homeowners, but besides that, we never leave our other citizens alone with their problems. Why? You know the inflation and disinflation process began in June. With the disinflation process, rent increases, which are projected to rise at the average rate of annual inflation each month, will show a decline every month."

CRITICISM OF 'TOKİ' FROM DEM'S TEMELLİ

While Altunyaldız's speech was interrupted from time to time by reactions from the opposition benches, DEM Party Group Deputy Chairman Sezai Temelli said, "When I listen to AKP speakers, I really think I should go and buy a house too. We are very curious about how they buy these houses. Look, let me tell you the facts. First, you fixed rent increases at 25 percent before the disinflation process, and inflation exploded. You say 'the disinflation process is starting,' and you uncap rent increases. This is a complete and serious inconsistency and a mental block. Of course, it is normal for your mind to be blocked when Mehmet Şimşek's mind is blocked. Therefore, no economic policy can come out of this. Secondly, there is a very serious housing problem in Turkey because there is a distorted housing policy. That is, there is an excess supply of housing constantly produced for the rich, but there is a housing problem for the poor, that is, for minimum wage earners who cannot make ends meet. While this housing problem can only be solved with a social housing policy, even TOKİ is building luxury homes in this country. There is a very serious income inequality in Turkey."

CHP'S BAŞARIR: OSMAN, MASHALLAH YOU HAVE 5,000 APARTMENTS

Joining the debate, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır noted that he thought he was living in another country as he listened to Altunyaldız's speech, saying, "The minimum wage is 17 thousand liras, the lowest rent in Ankara is 20 thousand liras; he is talking about this. Our friend who spoke just now, how much is the rent in Mezitli? The rent in Mezitli is also 20 thousand liras, but you have nothing to do with rent, Osman; mashallah, you have 5,000 apartments. Now, I don't understand this kind of logic. Now, there is such a situation that, 'We are the first party, we have been winning for 21 years.' No, you are the second party in the last election; this public punished you."

REACTION FROM AKP'S ZENGİN

AKP Group Deputy Chairman Özlem Zengin emphasized that they were objecting to the procedure, stating, "Look, what Ziya Bey said is this; all our addresses, our primary addresses, all our expressions, and our answers are to our nation. What we do here, in my speech yesterday and in the speeches we made with our friend, is that we live among the people ourselves. We are well aware of what is happening, and we are striving with all our might, our knowledge, and our years of experience to resolve existing problems. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the opposition that opposed the 25 percent rent cap at that time. So, what we see here is that it doesn't matter what the issue is; you say the exact opposite of whatever we say. Therefore, please do not underestimate the public's favor while making these speeches here."

REMINDED OF THE LOBSTER

As the mutual debates between AKP and CHP members continued, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır took the floor and said, "I will say something very briefly; I want to answer two things. We do not take the floor immediately after our MPs speak. We respond to the speech and sentences of the last speaker, who unfortunately is from the AKP group. Regarding the economy, rent increases, and salaries, he said, 'We are on the side of the people, we are on the streets.' It is clear how much you are on the streets from the 2 MPs next to you. One is the MP who shared a lobster in Monaco; the other is Osman, who grew up with him."

DEM'S TEMELLİ: WE WERE RIGHT TO OPPOSE THE 25 PERCENT

While AKP's Osman Gökçek requested the right to speak due to a personal attack, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Bekir Bozdağ gave the floor to DEM Party Group Deputy Chairman Sezai Temelli. Temelli said, "Mr. Zengin said, 'You also opposed the 25 percent,' we were right, the results are obvious. If she wants to see how right we were about the results, she should look at the courts and see how many rent determination lawsuits have been filed. Therefore, when there is a great injustice, you cannot eliminate this injustice by playing with prices; if you could have eliminated it, you would have; look, the interest rates are obvious."

AKP'S GÖKÇEK: ALİ MAHİR BAŞARIR IS LOOKING INTO THE RENT-SEEKING AFFAIRS OF MEZİTLİ

Heading to the podium to respond to CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır, AKP Ankara MP Osman Gökçek said, "Of course, Mr. Ali Mahir Başarır is very interested in the Mezitli issue these days. He sends his own consultant there as his private secretary. Since he is looking into all the rent-seeking affairs there, I think he needs to answer these issues first. Let's come to the second issue; you just stood up and spoke, come out here and answer the issue of Mr. Özgür Karabat having the same company receive 15 tenders from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Thirdly, you said 'Free' for water in the elections, you raised the price of water. You said 'Free' for transportation, you raised the price of transportation. You said to the students, 'Oh, all students, don't worry, all students will ride the buses for free,' you raised the price for that. On top of that, you went and indebted the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality for 180 billion TL. You never come out here and mention these issues."

CHP'S BAŞARIR TO GÖKÇEK: YOU ARE DIRTY, YOU HAVE GROWN UP WITH HARAM

After the speeches of İYİ Party Group Deputy Chairman Turhan Çömez and AKP Group Deputy Chairmen in the General Assembly, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır took the floor and said, "I have never had any consultants in the Mezitli district. One is Mustafa Karakuzu from Kütahya, one is Hüseyin Akyurt from Ordu, and my secretary is already here. I have never had any consultants in Mersin. Look, come and investigate. Buğra is not my consultant; Buğra has never been my consultant. Here are the parliamentary records, he wasn't last year or the year after. You are so used to lying, what can I say? Now, look, he says 'The budgets of the municipalities in Istanbul and Ankara have increased 12-fold.' They increase because there is no mayor like your father. There are mayors who increase the budget and give it to the people. That budget increases 12-fold. Why does it increase? There is no mayor like your father who built a dinosaur park, buried billions of liras in that park, and slandered people while grinning like a cooked head on television channels. If someone who cannot account for this comes out, I will resign from my parliamentary seat; I vouch for the honor, integrity, and dignity of all of them. Can you do it? I say it once again: You cannot account for that jacket you are wearing, your tie, the phone in your hand, or that television channel where you slander every day; you cannot. You are dirty, you have grown up with haram."

AKP'S GÖKÇEK TO BAŞARIR: IF YOU WERE A WATCHMAN, THIEVES WOULD HAVE A FEAST

As the tension rose among the MPs, AKP Ankara MP Osman Gökçek took the floor and said, "Dear Ali Mahir Başarır, whenever I ask you nice questions, you always prefer the method of insulting. So, in my opinion, if you were a landlord, you would sell the village; if you were a farmhand, you would sleep in the shade; if you were a shepherd, wolves would eat your flock; if you were a watchman, thieves would have a feast. You are such a man. Now look, I am telling you this, I am saying. For example, I am telling you right now, all the people in that region know that you are looking into the rent-seeking affairs there regarding the Mezitli Municipality. Now you know, again in Mersin, Erdoğan Öztürk, a person with whom you and Veli Ağbaba have good relations, the relations of this contractor will also be revealed. Hey, listen to these. Look, I am speaking based on documents and issues, I am not slandering. Look, let me tell you this, as MPs we should not insult each other, we should discuss our ideas, but you have such a style that you cannot do the job, you cannot answer, so you prefer the method of insulting or you prefer the method of attacking the family."

CHP'S BAŞARIR: I AM NOT ACCOUNTING TO YOU, THE PERSON WHO NEEDS TO ACCOUNT IS YOU

While mutual taunts were taking place among AKP, DEM Party, and CHP members, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır came to the podium and said, "Now, I am making a very honorable offer; I am saying, come, I will give the identity information of my children, my wife, and my entire lineage, and you give yours too; let the prosecutor's office come and investigate. In Mersin and Tarsus, in the Çamlıbel neighborhood where I lived with my father, there is not a single square meter of apartment belonging to my family, including my nephews and my nephews' fathers-in-law, other than 80 square meters. Know this. Let's come to Mezitli; now I looked, there is no zoning application being considered or on the agenda in Mezitli, it's a lie, there isn't, but look, I am not accounting to you, the person who needs to account is you. What am I saying? You are not being tried, brother; you and people like you are not being tried; there is such a problem in this country. Your father is a civil servant in the Social Services and Child Protection Agency, you are the owner of Beyaz TV, you are the owner of a football team, you have thousands of decares of land. Come, give it."

CHP'S AĞBABA TO GÖKÇEK: MANSUR YAVAŞ FORCIBLY TOOK THE ARMORED VEHICLES FROM UNDER YOUR FATHER

As the tension rose in the General Assembly, CHP Malatya MP Veli Ağbaba said, "I called you a troll child; you are the very embodiment of a troll. You have no shame, no decency. You have nothing. Let me say it from here, whoever has 1 square meter of land in Mezitli is dishonorable, shameless, and ignoble. Whoever slanders is dishonorable, shameless, and ignoble. Ali Mahir Başarır said it a moment ago, come, let's investigate the assets. For God's sake, what do you do, what do you do; what have you done so far? The friends sitting next to your father, the AKP, dismissed him. Why? Was he a thief, was he a FETÖ member? Account for that. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made your father resign. Was your father a thief, was he a FETÖ member? Look, let me tell you. Mansur Yavaş forcibly took the armored vehicles from under your father, your father is still coveting the houses of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. Go out to the street, if one person says something suspicious about Mansur Yavaş, come; if someone says something unsuspicious about your father, come again."

AKP'S GÖKÇEK'S RESPONSE: WHY DID YOU NEVER TAKE ME TO COURT?

AKP Ankara MP Osman Gökçek, who took the floor to respond to the words of CHP Group Deputy Chairmen Ali Mahir Başarır and Veli Ağbaba, said, "If you noticed, the same thing happened again, again insults, again the point of not being able to answer. Mr. Veli, if there is a problem with understanding, let me explain immediately. I did not say, 'You have land there.' I said, 'Tell us what your business is regarding the rent-seeking affairs there and that contractor related to Mr. Erdoğan.' One, let's not distort the words. Second, when Hür Ağbaba wanted to make a 150 million lira profit on an 18 million lira job in Didim, that tender was canceled, you remember, right? This was your brother, come and tell us about these too. Now, let's come to another issue. Let's not forget, dear MPs, I am an AKP Ankara MP here. If you have a problem with me, the courts are open; I have never had immunity throughout my life, Ali Mahir, I am not serving as an MP for the umpteenth term like you, I am serving as an MP for the first time. You should have taken me to court. Why did you never take me to court regarding that place you call 'Beyaz TV,' why didn't you ask where my earnings are, why didn't you want to investigate? Because there is such a situation: You also know very well what everything is. Look, let me tell you something, whether it is Mr. Veli or you, I do not find it appropriate for the decorum of the Parliament to use such language here in front of people regarding your honor and integrity."

CHP'S AĞBABA: WHOEVER ATE A SINGLE PENNY OF PUBLIC PROPERTY, MAY IT BE POISON

Ağbaba, who took the floor to respond to Gökçek's words, said, "I will insult, he deserves even more. Whoever plays with a person's honor and integrity, I will do much more to this immoral person, that's it. Look, let me tell you, whoever ate a single penny of public property, may it be poison, may it be bitter, may it be haram. Whoever got rich by taking 1 square meter of rent from the state or the public, there is no one more dishonorable, more shameless, or more base than them; I cannot express it any other way. Whoever is involved in rent-seeking in Mersin, whoever has relations with any contractor in any municipality of Mersin, whoever does business, there is no one more dishonorable or more shameless than them. There is no one more shameless or more dishonorable than those who say this. I am telling the AKP Group, AKP Group, Dear Özlem Zengin; is this man's father a thief or a FETÖ member? You dismissed him, you made him resign, so is this man's father a thief or a FETÖ member? Let's see you give an answer to that."

AKP'S GÖKÇEK: IF YOU DON'T PROVE IT, YOU ARE DISHONORABLE

As the debates continued, Gökçek took the floor and said, "I am a person who has managed television professionally for 15 years, starting at a local television station; this is the first thing. If you don't prove that the television is mine, you are dishonorable. Look, if you don't prove that the television is mine, you are dishonorable, otherwise that word will apply to me. Mr. Speaker, look, I am saying the same issue again, Dear Republican People's Party members, you also know very well what I mean. Please examine well what these gentlemen took and how they did it, and look, I am also relieving you in one respect."

ADJOURNMENT OF THE SESSION

As the debates continued in the General Assembly, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Bekir Bozdağ adjourned the session for 30 minutes.

MOTION REJECTED

The General Assembly reconvened after the 30-minute break. Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Bekir Bozdağ put the motion titled 'Investigation into the Problems Caused by the Removal of the Rent Increase Cap' submitted by the DEM Party Group to a vote. The motion was rejected by the votes of AKP and MHP MPs.