Clash at the IMM Assembly: AKP members offended by criticism of religious sects

Nagihan YILKIN /12punto.com.tr/ EXCLUSIVE

The final session of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Assembly for October was held in Saraçhane under the chairmanship of the 1st Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Nuri Aslan. During the off-agenda speeches, AKP Assembly member Şeyma Aktaa targeted CHP and DEM Party-run municipalities over LGBTIQ+ individuals.

Aktaa said, "Currently, these movements are growing globally. The political protectors and implementers of LGBT initiatives in Turkey are the CHP and DEM municipalities." Also targeting CHP's Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, Aktaa claimed that as soon as Güney took office, he appointed Kerem Kızılay, who she identified as LGBT, to head twelve preschool education centers that had been established during the AK Party era.

THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ISSUES THE DOCUMENT

Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney responded to Aktaa's allegations as follows:

"Municipalities write to the relevant authorities for security background checks. Once the response to the letter is received, hiring is carried out if appropriate. Therefore, what matters to us is not someone's private life, sexual life, or different characteristics, but the employment clearance document that comes from the Governor's Office or the relevant authority. Secondly, there is a congress process in the AK Party. The district chair is likely inclined to cover up the election defeat he suffered through these methods. He said parents reacted. Let's open the press statement and see, was there a single citizen there other than 10 AK Party district executives? Furthermore, there is no position called 'coordinator of nurseries' at the Beyoğlu Municipality. I want to underline this as well. You invented a position that does not exist. You are trying to manipulate public opinion with a lie about something that does not exist." 

Taking the floor after Güney, AKP Group Deputy Chair Zeynel Abidin Okulsaid,"Why was there so much discomfort with Ms. Şeyma's speech? We do not understand this. Do you or do you not find it appropriate for LGBTI individuals to work, especially with our children, that is, in preschools or nurseries? For once, express this, this, this clearly." he said.

'PROTECT THEM FROM RAPE IN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY DORMITORIES'

Taking the floor, CHP Group Deputy Chair Ülkü Sakalar "If you want to protect our children, you must first protect them from rape in religious community dormitories" she said.

In her notable speech, Sakalar used the following expressions:

"How do you even know who is LGBT or what someone's sexual orientation is? There is no such thing as an 'LGBT-meter'; I don't know of one. The only problem in society is not LGBT. How much did you speak out against the children who were harassed and raped in religious community dormitories? Ms. Şeyma mentioned 'psychopaths' from the podium, referring to certain psychopaths. While psychopaths who kill our young girls are walking free, while women are being murdered every day, and while 28 women were killed in 11 days, where were you? This is the AK Party mentality I am talking about. We will fight this together. You find a pretext, saying 'this person's sexual orientation is this, our children are in a very bad situation.' That is not the issue. If you want to protect children and women, you will protect them from rape in religious community dormitories, you will protect them from harassment. You will protect them from femicide. That is the issue."

SESSION ADJOURNED

Following Sakalar's remarks, some assembly members from the AKP group stood up and began hurling insults. The session was adjourned following the argument that broke out in the assembly.

News Source : Nagihan Yılkın