Military guard leaves Parliament, police go in

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

A police officers helps his colleague standing on guard in front of Parliament. AA photo

The 91-year-old military guard bid farewell to Parliament yesterday after a law passed to hand over its duties to the police as part of an effort to curb the Army’s influence in politics.

Speaking at the ceremony, Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek, who was among the lawmakers who drafted the bill, praised the military guard’s service but said advancing technologies had made it redundant.
“Opportunities brought about by technological progress have centralized security services,” he said.
“There are currently surveillance cameras monitoring Parliament grounds day and night. Human guards are no longer necessary at posts and we no longer need such heavy protection.”

Çiçek said the military guard’s duties had long been reduced to symbolic levels. “Starting today, they will take their place in the golden pages of history.” He said the soldiers would join their original contingent at the Presidential Guard.