Bülent Arınç warns Parliament Speaker Kurtulmuş over 'Can Atalay': 'There is no justifiable reason'

Former Parliament Speaker and AKP founder Bülent Arınç issued a call to Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş regarding Can Atalay, stating, "There are no obstacles left for Can Atalay to become a member of parliament again. It is my duty to friendly warn you to invite Mr. Can Atalay to the parliament and ensure he takes his oath of office."

Following his election as a deputy from the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), Can Atalay's release was blocked despite a Constitutional Court (AYM) ruling. His parliamentary membership was subsequently revoked after the conviction verdict issued by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation was read in the TBMM. A new decision regarding Atalay was issued by the AYM on August 1.

The High Court ruled that the revocation of Atalay's parliamentary membership was "null and void."

Following the decision, opposition parties called for an extraordinary session of the TBMM.

Former Parliament Speaker and AKP founder Bülent Arınç also issued a call to Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş regarding the matter.

"THERE IS NO JUSTIFIABLE REASON"

Pointing out the necessity of implementing AYM rulings, Arınç stated, "There are no obstacles left for Can Atalay to become a member of parliament again. It is my duty to friendly warn you to invite Mr. Can Atalay to the parliament and ensure he takes his oath of office. This person was elected and received his certificate of election. He came to the parliament and was elected to parliamentary committees, but it was not possible for him to take his oath. Currently, he cannot participate in legislative duties. There is no justifiable reason to resist such clear and definitive rulings of the Constitutional Court."

Arınç's statements are as follows:

The provisions of the Constitution are very clear, and this constitution is in effect to be applied today. The obligation to implement the decisions made by these institutions regarding Constitutional Court and ECHR rulings is written in almost every relevant article.

Our President has been in the office of the Presidency for 10 years. He has been elected according to this constitution since 2014, takes his oath according to this constitution, and appoints members of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), as well as the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation and members of the Constitutional Court, according to this constitution.

He uses all the rights and powers granted to him in the Constitution. Until a few years ago, we considered it our duty to comply with the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the ECHR, from Article 90 to Articles 148 through 153.

Now, the decisions repeatedly issued by the Constitutional Court are clear; it appears they most recently issued a 10-to-4 decision, and those 4 members do not have substantive objections, but rather procedural ones. Given this situation, there are no obstacles left for Can Atalay to become a member of parliament again. This must be implemented. Because according to this constitution, these decisions must be implemented.

My thoughts on the cases of Enis Berberoğlu and Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu in the past remain exactly the same today. Therefore, I want to address our Parliament Speaker. Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş, our esteemed speaker of parliament; I have known, liked, and appreciated you for a long time. We engaged in politics together. You have also served as the chairman of two political parties.

I have always appreciated you for your family, your scholarly background, the titles you hold, being an exemplary family, and representing our parliament with dignity to this day. Today, you are facing an important decision. It is my duty to friendly warn you to invite Mr. Can Atalay to the parliament and ensure he takes his oath of office. This person was elected and received his certificate of election. He came to the parliament and was elected to parliamentary committees, but it was not possible for him to take his oath.

Currently, he cannot participate in legislative duties. There is no justifiable reason to resist such clear and definitive rulings of the Constitutional Court.

You will remember that in 2013, during my time as Deputy Prime Minister, a HDP deputy named Kemal Aktaş was going to have his conviction read in parliament and his parliamentary membership would end following the finalization of a 1-year and 8-month prison sentence. He had received this sentence due to a speech he made during Nevruz, according to Article 7 of the Anti-Terror Law. According to ECHR rulings, there was no criminal element in the speech in question.

Therefore, by taking the views and instructions of our Prime Minister, we changed the relevant article of this law among ourselves to be in accordance with ECHR rulings, as "a person who engages in propaganda in a way that legitimizes or praises the methods of a terrorist organization involving force, violence, or threats, or encourages the use of these methods..." We also asked Mr. Cemil Çiçek to delay the reading of Kemal Aktaş's decision in the TBMM for 4-5 months. With a very correct decision by our Prime Minister, this article was changed and has remained in effect from that day to this.

While I opposed the revocation of a parliamentary membership in this way in the past, I believe today that the political institution is being damaged, politicians are being worn down, and this institution is suffering a great wound due to the revocation of parliamentary memberships as if it were a routine event.

Mr. Speaker of the TBMM; please, with your own will, your legal perspective, and your political experience, let us resolve this matter without dragging it out any further. Let us not delegate this honorable task to someone else.

Let us not forget that it is useful to recall these words of Prof. Ali Fuat Başgil, whom I know you also value highly: "The best constitution is the one that is applied; the worst constitution is the one that is not applied."

RESPONSE FROM BEŞTEPE TO ARINÇ'S CAN ATALAY WARNING

Presidential advisor Ayhan Ogan quoted Bülent Arınç's warning regarding Can Atalay on his social media account and gave the following response to Arınç's words:

Mr. Arınç

In Turkey, AYM rulings have been complied with, a retrial has been conducted, and the person in question has received a sentence that prevents him from being a member of parliament and is a convict.

Turkey knows you as the official who received the message of the Gezi protesters in the past.

Turkey knows you for your statement "You can call me a FOOL" due to the major mistakes you made in the past.

Turkey knows you for your outburst "Don't make me wear my robe" to save FETÖ detainees.

You are in no position to give advice to anyone, let alone the Speaker of the TBMM.

News Source: 12punto

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