Striking observations from AKP's Tayyar on 'absentee MPs': It is not personal, it is systemic

MHP's Celal Adan, who told AKP members who sent fake attendance slips to a parliamentary session last month that "whoever did this is immoral," read out the names one by one when fake ballots appeared again in the session held the day before. Adan reacted by saying, "It's a shame."

While the MPs' fake ballot move drew reactions, AKP's Şamil Tayyar also expressed his thoughts on why this problem occurs in striking observations he made on his social media account.

Here are those statements by Şamil Tayyar:

Parliamentary absenteeism by MPs, which has started to be discussed again over fake ballots, is not a personal but a systemic problem.

MPs struggle to connect with a parliament where they feel ineffective, worthless, and useless.

They are overwhelmed by the drudgery inherited from the old system, just as they are unable to exercise the legislative and oversight functions derived from the Constitution.

In this situation, the question to be answered is this:

Then why are they scrambling to become MPs?

There are many reasons, but I think three main arguments are effective.

-Social prestige.

-Legal immunity.

-Personal rights.

A person may have money but no prestige.

They may have fame but no security.

Strangely, they may lack personal rights.

By becoming an MP, one gains prestige, obtains legal immunity, and acquires personal rights.

Arbitrary and crony-based choices that do not reflect the national will also feed the non-political personal expectations mentioned above.

As the public's influence on candidate selection and elections increases, the profile of the MP changes, social expectations rather than personal ones come to the fore, and the bond between the nation and the parliament to which it entrusts its will strengthens.

In this functioning, there are no fake votes, parliament does not close due to absenteeism, it makes its own laws, and it establishes balance by overseeing the executive branch.

In short, the system will not find peace until a single-member district election system is adopted."

Parliamentary absenteeism by MPs, which has started to be discussed again over fake ballots, is not a personal but a systemic problem.

MPs struggle to connect with a parliament where they feel ineffective, worthless, and useless.

They are unable to exercise the legislative and oversight functions derived from the Constitution…

— Şamil Tayyar (@samiltayyar27) February 19, 2026

News Source: 12punto