Ruling party MPs leave session for prayers, leaving opposition free to adopt proposal

ANKARA

Opposition deputies obtained a rare majority at Parliament while ruling AKP MPs had left the assembly session for prayers. AA photo

The opposition parties in the Turkish Parliament adopted a common proposal on the evening of July 10, taking advantage of the fact that ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies had left the assembly to perform fast-breaking Teravih prayers.

The proposal, a procedural change removing the authority of the Development Minister on the appointments of the head of departments at the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK), was adopted by the 38 opposition deputies, who outnumbered the 28 AKP lawmakers who were remaining at the session.

Some of the other AKP deputies who didn’t go to perform their prayers were reportedly outside in the Parliament’s garden, allowing the opposition to obtain a rare majority in Parliament’s main assembly.

Only two days ago, it was reported that the AKP had rejected its own proposal, mistakenly believing it was submitted by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). 

The mistake was triggered when the opposition lawmakers approved the proposal, which was part of an omnibus bill regulating the personal rights of health employees in provincial areas. Seeing that the proposal had been accepted by the opposition, the AKP deputies rejected it as a bloc, due to the ingrained habit of directly rejecting all proposals from the CHP.