Bülent Arınç makes a call for Can Atalay in his congratulatory message to Numan Kurtulmuş

AKP member Numan Kurtulmuş has been re-elected as the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

Bülent Arınç, one of the former speakers of the TBMM, published a congratulatory message for Kurtulmuş.

In the congratulatory message he shared on his X account, Arınç made a call to Kurtulmuş regarding Can Atalay.

Addressing Kurtulmuş by saying, "I have a special call I would like to direct to you personally," Arınç stated that regarding Gezi trial convict and Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) Hatay MP Can Atalay, “steps must be taken to restore the reputation of the Parliament.”

Arınç's message is as follows:

“I sincerely congratulate Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş on his re-election as the Speaker of the TBMM. I wish him and his family health, peace, and success in this new term. Mr. Speaker; your political experience, your stance, and your humble personality are appreciated not only under the roof of the Parliament but also by broad segments of society. Throughout our long shared political history, I have always known and embraced you for your principled and conciliatory attitude. On this occasion, I hope your new term will lead to beneficial services for our country. I would like to remind you that in the days following the AK Party coming to power alone after the November 3, 2002 elections, I had the honor of being elected Speaker of the Parliament in the first round with 369 votes. As I stated at that time, my greatest goal was to restore the reputation of the TBMM. The institution of politics had been greatly worn down, and the Parliament had fallen far behind in public trust rankings. However, with intense effort, we succeeded in raising the reputation of our Parliament back up during that period, which passed under the shadow of military and judicial tutelage. Today, however, I see with sadness that the institution of politics and the Parliament are at risk of losing their reputation in the eyes of the public once again. Therefore, your most important duty is to make our nation feel once again that the Parliament is the heart of our democracy; to restore trust in this roof, which is the place for solving social problems and the greatest refuge of the people.

The process that began about eight months ago with the call of Mr. Devlet Bahçeli and which has received broad public support, represents a valuable threshold for a Turkey without terrorism and a democratic one. I recall Mr. Bahçeli's constructive attitude in this process with appreciation; I hope that developments will progress in a way that strengthens democracy. The fact that this call has even come to the agenda on a 'legal evaluation' basis regarding Abdullah Öcalan, who has been in prison for 25 years and is known to the public as the head of the terrorists, clearly shows how natural and necessary it is for members of parliament who have been elected by the votes of the people and whose mandate has been finalized by a judicial decision to come to the Parliament.

Important steps have been taken during every Parliament Speaker's term. This term should be no exception. In this context, I have a special call I would like to direct to you personally: In recent years, names who were in prison despite being elected as MPs or who could not come to Parliament and take the oath due to legal obstacles have come to the agenda. Some of these have regained their freedom through processes closely followed by the public. However, the continued imprisonment of an MP who was elected by the nation's vote and whose mandate was approved by a high court decision damages the reputation of the Parliament. This situation undermines faith in democracy and casts a shadow over the will of the people. I hope that this issue will be concluded as soon as possible in a fair, lawful, and positive manner.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my belief that a strong will will be shown on this matter in your person and that steps will be taken to restore the reputation of the Parliament. With my greetings and respects.”

News Source: 12punto