Turkish opposition unites for graft notices session at Parliament

ANKARA

A group, member of the main opposition party CHP, hold banner reading ‘Send summary of proceedings to Parliament’ at a demonstration in Ankara in this file photo.

Three opposition parties have agreed to appeal to the office of the Parliament Speaker for an extraordinary session in order to read out a summary of proceedings regarding four former members of the Cabinet over a massive corruption and graft probe.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has 134 seats at Parliament called on the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) with their 52 and 26 seats respectively, to support its move to convene Parliament in an extraordinary session before the local elections.

Convening the Parliament for an extraordinary session requires a petition signed by at least 184 lawmakers. The total number of three opposition parties is enough to meet this criterion.

“Our plan is to convene Parliament on March 18, but the final decision is up to the Parliament Speaker,” Akif Hamzaçebi, the deputy parliamentary group leader of the CHP told reporters March 11. The Parliament Speaker should call the parties for the extraordinary session within a week after the petition signed by 184 lawmakers reaches his office. The Parliament will go into recess following the completion of the reading of summary of proceedings.

Yusuf Halaçoğlu, deputy parliamentary group leader of the MHP said his group would be present for the extraordinary session as did Pervin Buldan, deputy parliamentary group leader of the BDP. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy parliamentary group leader Mustafa Elitaş said his party would decide on the proposal after inter-party discussions. Hamzaçebi said he also contacted independent lawmakers and informed them that he received a positive response from a good majority of 14 independent deputies.

 The only agenda of the extraordinary session is to read out the summary of proceedings regarding four former ministers - former Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, former EU Minister Egemen Bağış, former Interior Minister Muammer Güler and former Environment Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar, who had to resign from their position after Dec. 17 graft probe.