Turhan Çömez recounts his last conversation with Sırrı Süreyya Önder: He asked for help!

İYİ Party Group Deputy Chairman Turhan Çömez shared details of his dialogue with the late TBMM Group Deputy Chairman and DEM Party MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder. Çömez stated that about 1.5 months ago, Sırrı Süreyya Önder called him and asked for help due to health issues.

“Politically, Sırrı Bey and I did not have much common ground, and we criticized each other very harshly at times. However, this did not prevent us from understanding each other,” said Çömez, adding, “He was an important politician. May God have mercy on him, may he rest in peace.”

Çömez described their dialogue with the following words:

"One day he called me and said, 'Doctor, I have a medical condition, I am asking for your help.' He said he had a serious aneurysm in his aorta, that he had seen many doctors in Turkey, but that he wanted to consult with a doctor abroad."

DOCTOR FOUND IN LONDON

Çömez stated that he took action immediately upon this request and contacted leading cardiovascular surgeons in England. He noted that they arranged an appointment with a doctor during this process and forwarded all of Önder’s medical reports to the specialist in London. However, he reported that the doctor gave a warning that he "must quit smoking."

''YOU ARE DISRUPTING MY ROUTINE''

Stating that he conveyed this warning to Önder, Çömez said he told him, "Chairman, you need to quit smoking," to which Önder replied, "You are disrupting my routine." Çömez also shared that later, every time they met, he would try to take the cigarette out of Önder’s hand, and this situation became a running joke between them.

COMPLAINED TO THE PARTY LEADER

Sırrı Süreyya Önder’s persistence regarding smoking was also reflected in their humorous dialogues. Çömez said, "One day he called Mr. Müsavat Dervişoğlu and complained about me, saying, 'You have sent a Group Deputy Chairman here who interferes with our smoking.'"

HE ASKED, ''WHY ISN'T TURHAN COMING?''

Emphasizing that their warm dialogue continued despite political disagreements, Çömez also shared that Önder would express his disappointment when he did not see him in Parliament:

“We had criticisms during the process of bringing messages from İmralı. I was not on duty that week. Buğra Kavuncu was on duty. He sent word to him, asking, ‘Why isn't Turhan coming, is he angry with me?’ I was at home, I got up and went to Parliament, and told him from the podium, ‘I am not on duty today, that is why I did not come.’”