Outcry over protocol crisis in Şanlıurfa: 'The public knows everything now'

Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurumfaced a protocol crisis at the Provincial Coordination Meeting held in Urfa. The meeting was attended by the Governor of Urfa, AK Party deputies, and Metropolitan Mayor Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar . 

Before the meeting, the chair allocated for Gülpınar was removed and his seat was changed. Reacting to the situation, Mayor Gülpınar addressed Minister Murat Kurum as follows: 

“In Malatya, Maraş, and Adıyaman, opposition party mayors sat there, not here, at the coordination meetings in the same way. If the political understanding and political alliance you speak of starts like this, if we are subjected to different treatment, God has granted us this seat here with the will of 350,000 people. The things you will express here shortly are demands that directly concern the Metropolitan Mayor. I am not seeking to be seen. We will still convey our demands to you under any circumstances. These demands are not my personal demands; they are the demands of Urfa.”

Yeniden Refah Party Deputy Chairman Suat Kılıç also described the removal of Gülpınar's name from the dais the moment he entered the hall as a 'state of complete lawlessness' that pushes boundaries.

There was also a reaction to the events from within the AKP. AKP Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) member Orhan Miroğlu criticized his party over the protocol crisis. 

“IT WAS NOT ELEGANT, IT WAS VERY SAD”

Orhan Miroğlu shared a message on his social media account, stating, 'There are no problems in our western provinces, but unfortunately, there are problems in the Southeast, and it seems there will continue to be!'  

Stating, 'The fact that the mayor in Şanlıurfa had to sit in the hall rows rather than in the protocol section was not elegant in this regard; it was very sad!' Orhan Miroğlu drew attention to the following in his message: '

"We have had a lot of political experience in this province, which has a unique sociology, and for instance, an AK Party colleague of ours who has had more effort and duty than I have came and made a different choice. This is not the end of the world, friends! The 350,000 voters who cast their ballots for him were your voters, and those voters were not voting for your arbitrary stances, but for the democratic understanding you possess. Show yourselves, and our esteemed fellow citizens of Şanlıurfa will vote for you again! But refrain from behaviors that will gain neither the party nor yourselves anything. Believe me, this public knows everything now!"

The full text of Orhan Miroğlu's message is as follows: 

"We, as AK Party members, have a fundamental principle regarding how we should behave toward opposition parties outside of our own, and that principle dates back to the night of July 15, when the country was left in blood and fire. 

That night, our President and Chairman came out and said, 'I have never recognized any power above the power of the people until today...' 

The power of the people is the power that emerges from the ballot box. Ignoring or failing to recognize that power should never be an issue. It is neither shameful nor a sin to enter elections against the AK Party and win them. 

Democracy means respecting different choices. But if these different choices have upset you greatly, instead of getting angry or furious, you should question why you lost a city where you have been the leading party for twenty years and conduct an accounting. 

I suppose you have realized that I am bringing the subject to Şanlıurfa. 

Everyone knows that the protocol order of parties and the state are separate from each other; in cities, the state is represented by governors, and parties are represented by provincial chairs and members of parliament. Our Minister, Mr. Kurum, is visiting cities these days, and meetings are held according to the state's protocol rules to plan the future of the cities. When the ministry is Environment and Urbanization, naturally, mayors take their place in the protocol alongside the governor or the minister."

According to the March 31 elections, the CHP won 14, the YRP 1, the DEM Party 3, and the AK Party 12 metropolitan municipalities.

There are no problems in our western provinces, but unfortunately, there are problems in the Southeast, and it looks like there will continue to be! The fact that the mayor in Şanlıurfa had to sit in the audience rows rather than in the protocol section was not elegant in this regard; it was very upsetting! 

We have had a lot of political experience in this province, which has a different sociology, and for instance, an AK Party colleague of ours who has had more effort and duty than me came and made a different choice.

This is not the end of the world, friends!

The 350,000 voters who cast their ballots for him were your voters, and those voters were not voting for your arbitrary stances, but for the democratic understanding you possess.

Show yourselves, and our esteemed fellow citizens of Şanlıurfa will vote for you again!

But also refrain from behaviors that will not gain anything for either the party or yourselves.

Believe me, this public knows everything now!”

News Source: 12punto