MHP MP Cemal Enginyurt expelled from party 

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) lawmaker Cemal Enginyurt was expelled from his party, an ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), on July 30 after being referred to the disciplinary board following his criticisms toward Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli.  
 
“It has been decided that [Black Sea province of] Ordu MP Cemal Enginyurt, who has been referred to the disciplinary board with requests for complete expulsion on July 21, has been removed from the MHP,” the party said in a written statement.  
 
Enginyurt’s expulsion demand came after he criticized Pakdemirli, according to local media reports. 
 
After the party’s decision to refer him to the disciplinary board, Enginyurt on Twitter had said the MHP was his “irreplaceable love,” saying he would always defend the hazelnut producers of Ordu, the province he represents.  
 
“You cannot interrupt my speech and you will not be able to. No one can silence the nationalists. I will always speak the truth for the nation, the state and the people of Ordu,” he said on Twitter on July 30 after the decision to expel him.  
 
Ordu supplies much of Turkey’s hazelnut production and exports and provides a livelihood for locals in the region.  
 
With the expulsion of Enginyurt, the MHP’s seats in parliament dropped from 49 to 48. Parliament has 586 seats, with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) holding the majority with 291. The MHP is the fourth largest party in parliament.