Color of seats makes Turkish MPs see red: Report

ANKARA - Hürriyet

The General Assemly of the Parliament is witnessing high tensions. DAILY NEWS photo

It is not just the sensitivity of the matters on the agenda or the polarization of the political debate, but also the “aggressive” color of the seats that are to blame for the lack of basic courtesy and high tensions that frequently flare up in the Turkish Parliament’s General Assembly, according to a recent report by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The main culprit for the explosive and disrespectful atmosphere was the vivid orange color of the chairs, concluded the report by Muğla deputy Nurettin Demir, which was submitted yesterday.

The report argues that the color of the chairs made deputies feel like “attacking” anyone. The report also emphasized that the air conditioning and lighting system were not adequate for keeping the deputies in the parliament chamber for long periods of time.

Both factors combine to increase the fatigue of the MPs, it added. Demir also criticized the use of artificial flowers in the chamber, which he considered “depressing” and advised parliament to substitute these with real, seasonal flowers, to brighten up the space.