Sharp reaction from Oktay Saral to Bülent Arınç: A wedding podium is not a political arena

Bülent Arınç's speech at the wedding ceremony of Ahmet Davutoğlu's son has ignited a new debate in politics. In his speech, Arınç criticized Melih Gökçek without naming him, while using expressions regarding Gökçek's demeanor at the courthouse and his chewing gum.

A sharp response to Arınç's words came from Chief Advisor to the President Oktay Saral. In a statement on his social media account, Saral claimed that Arınç had turned the wedding ceremony into a field for political settling of scores.

“He wouldn't find anyone other than a few mindless people”

Oktay Saral criticized Bülent Arınç with harsh expressions in his statement, using the following words:

“If Bülent Arınç were to set up a podium in a square, he wouldn't find anyone around him other than a few mindless people. Seeing thousands of people together at the wedding, he took the stage and used the young couple's happiest day as material for his political settling of scores.”

Saral argued that Arınç's speech was also inappropriate in terms of place and time.

“Turning a wedding ceremony into a political podium…”

Chief Advisor to the President Saral stated that he did not find it appropriate for a wedding or marriage ceremony to be the scene of political debates, using the expressions, “Turning a wedding ceremony into a political podium aligns neither with courtesy nor with statesmanship.”

Saral also targeted the expressions Arınç used regarding a public prosecutor in his speech. Claiming that Arınç used language that belittled the prosecutor, Saral expressed that this attitude was unacceptable.

“I am of the opinion that we have seen beautiful days”

Oktay Saral also touched upon a remarkable dialogue that took place at the ceremony. He argued that the response, “I am of the opinion that we have seen beautiful days,” given to Arınç's words, “We will see beautiful days, children,” provided the necessary message regarding the debate.

Saral stated that this response “set the necessary measure.”

“Statesmanship is knowing where and when to speak”

Addressing Bülent Arınç directly at the end of his statement, Oktay Saral continued his harsh criticisms with the following expressions:

“Mr. Arınç; a wedding podium is not a political arena. Statesmanship is not speaking from every podium one finds; it is knowing where, when, and how much to speak.”

With Saral's statement, the debate that began around the speech Bülent Arınç gave at Davutoğlu's son's wedding has turned into a new polemic in Ankara politics.

Bülent Arınç bir meydana kürsü kursa, etrafında birkaç şuursuzdan başka kimseyi bulamaz. Düğünde binlerce insanı bir arada görünce eline sazı alıp genç çiftin en mutlu gününü siyasi hesaplaşmalarına malzeme etmiş.

Bir nikâh törenini siyaset kürsüsüne çevirmek ne nezaketle…

— Oktay SARAL (@oktay_saral) September 13, 2026

News Source: 12punto