Bülent Arınç on Öcalan after Bahçeli's call: 'If he is to come to Parliament...'

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's handshake with DEM Party deputies and his subsequent call regarding terrorist leader Abdullah Öcalan continue to occupy the agenda.

Former TBMM Speaker and AKP founder Bülent Arınç made striking statements regarding the latest developments in politics.

ARINÇ TO UÇUM: IGNORANT

Speaking to Cansu Çamlıbel of T24, Arınç reacted to Mehmet Uçum, Chief Advisor to AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, due to his stance on the Can Atalay case.

Calling Uçum "ignorant," Arınç stated, "Unfortunately, a person named Uçum, who directs legal policies, introduced a very nonsensical concept into the literature by making a distinction between national judiciary and non-national judiciary. This must be corrected immediately."

Bahçeli's call regarding Öcalan was also on Arınç's agenda.

'I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WHEN I HEARD BAHÇELİ'S WORDS'

"When I heard Bahçeli's words, 'Let Öcalan come out, let the isolation be lifted, let him come and speak in Parliament,' I couldn't believe it at first," said Arınç, continuing as follows:

"I immediately called my advisors, asking, 'Do these words really belong to Bahçeli? Where did he speak?' Because this is not something to be expected from him. Everyone was naturally surprised that a person who is always in the mood of 'let this be closed, let that be closed, let us close those who don't close it, let us hang, let us cut' is speaking with such an unprecedented claim. Therefore, I thought, 'Perhaps a new process will begin, and in this process, they will bring to the agenda the complete termination of terrorism, which is an ancient problem of Turkey—and in my opinion, has become a matter of survival.' Then I started following the developments. Our President did not initially pursue these issues. We even thought that such a question was not asked on the plane while returning from the BRICS meeting."

'THE NEXT DAY, A CLOSURE CASE WOULD BE FILED AGAINST THAT PARTY'

Stating that it is impossible for Öcalan to speak at the parliamentary podium, Arınç said:

"First of all, let me say what needs to be said from start to finish; it is not possible for him to come to Parliament and give a speech in this state. It is not possible legally, nor is it possible in terms of parliamentary traditions. I am a person who has applied the Parliament's internal regulations for five years. How is a person like Öcalan going to come to Parliament, will he come with special permission? It won't happen. Currently, Öcalan can only be taken out with special permission for the funeral of his first-degree relatives, handcuffed, with hundreds of gendarmes behind him. I had explained this before through a relative who was arrested on July 15. During the state of emergency after July 15, my wife's cousin was the health director in Manisa and was arrested.

At the funeral, in an environment where other politicians and officials did not attend, Özgür Özel intervened in the situation and made efforts to have our arrested relative's handcuffs removed. I had mentioned this situation somewhere, saying, 'Özel is my hero.' So, it is not possible for a convict to come and speak in parliament with special permission today. For one thing, the Parliament's group halls are considered part of parliamentary activities. Speeches at group meetings are also covered by immunity. No one would allow a person convicted under Article 125 to come and speak directly in Parliament, but let's say they did this...

Let's say they brought Öcalan and made him speak in the DEM Party group in Parliament; even if nothing else happened, the Chief Public Prosecutor would immediately file a closure case against that party the next day for letting Öcalan speak."

'UNLESS THE WORLD ENDS, NO ONE WILL BE BANNED FOR THE WORD ‘FOOL’'

Evaluating the 'Fool case' filed against IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Bülent Arınç said:

"Because of the word 'fool,' neither a sentence nor a ban will come. As long as the world does not change, as long as the world does not end, if there is right, law, or justice, such a thing will not happen. Today, everyone is saying things a thousand times worse than this to each other. The words uttered by everyone, starting with our President, are still in our memories. Ekrem İmamoğlu says that the addressee of this word he used was not the Supreme Election Council (YSK), but someone else. Ekrem İmamoğlu probably said that addressing Mr. Süleyman Soylu as well. He says that the Supreme Election Council is not complaining about this either.

If the expert witness says so in a matter where an acquittal decision could be given without even needing an expert witness, the expert report would be sufficient to end this issue. Since it has come to the appellate court, it is surely being discussed there as well. Therefore, it is not possible for a conviction decision exceeding two years to be upheld. It should not happen. I think we have to trust the judiciary without bringing this issue to the agenda every day. Because the judiciary can be influenced. That is, with a speech that makes itself the addressee every day, the judiciary might go to a decision different from the ordinary. I think we should leave that place alone."

'IF ÖCALAN IS TO COME TO PARLIAMENT, THERE MUST BE A GENERAL AMNESTY'

Upon the question, "President Erdoğan has not made sentences as far as Bahçeli has so far. Do you think, like many of us, that he is testing the ground by making Bahçeli speak instead of himself?" Bülent Arınç said:

"I look at what is said. I have no way of splitting and seeing or listening to anyone's heart. It is not right to interpret by looking from the outside like this. Now, we actually need to return to where we started here. We were trying to say something about Bahçeli's speech. Where did we get into? Why will this person come to Parliament? If there is a possibility of going out, let him go and do this in a luxury hotel or a small meeting place.

The Ministry of Interior can also allocate a place for him. Let him say whatever he is going to say there. I absolutely do not see it possible for him to come to Parliament. If a general amnesty is to be issued, we can think about this. And this might be appropriate. But I know from my state life, early discharge in military service and general amnesty on this side should not be discussed. If it is to be done, it should be done and the matter should be finished."

'I HEARD INSULTS FROM ERDOĞAN AND BAHÇELİ BECAUSE I MENTIONED DEMİRTAŞ'S NAME'

Upon the question, "Do you think that mentioning Selahattin Demirtaş's name will harm him?" Arınç said, "I think it will harm him, yes. I did a program on Habertürk in 2020. I opposed the unfair detention. There were two journalists there. They gave these names. I said, 'They could be too.' After that, Bahçeli started, insults and swearing from A to Z. Following him, our friend, our old friend, the President, he was no less than him," he said.

News Source: 12punto