Parliament cancels reception

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey’s Parliament has decided to cancel a reception scheduled for Oct. 1 to mark the opening of the new legislative year due to escalating terrorist attacks and as a bid to pay respect to martyrs killed in those attacks, marking the second consecutive year in which such a reception has been cancelled due to terrorism.

Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek’s decision to cancel the reception was announced yesterday in a statement by Parliament’s Secretary-General İrfan Neziroğlu.

Last year’s reception for the opening of the legislative year was also cancelled due to intense terrorist attacks that resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.The Parliament’s last reception was hosted by Çiçek on April 23 to celebrate the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day on the 82nd anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Parliament. During that reception PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was accompanied by his wife Emine Erdoğan for the first time.