The story behind the AKP deputies who skipped the framework law vote: A notable detail regarding Erdoğan...

The absence of certain deputies from the AKP ranks during the parliamentary vote on the regulation prepared as part of the second opening process, dubbed "Terror-Free Turkey" and known publicly as the "framework law," has drawn attention in political circles.

According to a report by Cumhuriyet, it is claimed that the failure of some deputies with nationalist backgrounds in the AKP to participate in the vote took place with the knowledge of the party leadership and the approval of AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

It was stated that Tahir Akyürek, Lütfi Bayraktar, Sami Çakır, İsmail Emrah Karayel, Bülent Tüfenkci, Yıldırım Tuğrul Türkeş, Ahmet Ersagun Yücel, and Kürşad Zorlu did not participate in the vote from the AKP group. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş did not vote as he was presiding over the session.

Political circles are focusing on three names in particular: Yıldırım Tuğrul Türkeş, son of MHP founding leader Alparslan Türkeş, and Ahmet Ersagun Yücel and Kürşad Zorlu, who joined the AKP after leaving the İYİ Party. The assessment is that their absence from the vote was not a personal choice, but a stance with calculated political consequences.

PARTY DISCIPLINE AND BASE CALCULATIONS

According to information obtained, it was conveyed to the party leadership before the vote that a "yes" vote from the three deputies on the regulation could create a backlash among nationalist voters. It is stated that Yücel and Zorlu, in particular, assessed that the voter base that moved with them when they transitioned from the İYİ Party to the AKP was distant from the process.

It is expressed that Türkeş's situation was handled separately due to his symbolic weight. The view emerged that Türkeş giving open support to the regulation could lead to a stronger reaction in the nationalist public, both due to the political legacy he carries and the objections he had previously voiced regarding the process.

For this reason, it is stated that the formula of not participating in the vote was adopted instead of casting a "no" vote, thereby preventing these deputies from coming into direct conflict with the AKP group. At the same time, it is noted that the goal was to send a message to the nationalist base that "they did not vote for the law."

In AKP circles, it is commented that this method is part of the two-pronged strategy the government followed during the framework law process. Accordingly, while the party leadership maintained the necessary support for the regulation to pass through Parliament, it also tried to limit the potential reaction from nationalist voters.

It is assessed that this stance could be used in the coming period, especially in statements by Türkeş, Yücel, and Zorlu to their own voters, with the narrative that "we did not vote for the law." In political circles, it is stated that this situation is seen as a "controlled loss" aimed at maintaining political balance rather than an independent objection to the law.

News Source: 12punto