Turkish Parliament gets makeover to lower tension between MPs

ANKARA – Hürriyet

A recent Parliament report put the blame on the color of the seats for the fairly violent fights that constantly erupted at the General Assembly room. HÜRRİYET photo

As the end of the recess period nears, officials at the Turkish Parliament have launched a makeover of the General Assembly chamber with the intention of alleviating the predominant atmosphere of constant tension and aggression.  
 
Photos published by daily Hürriyet on Sept. 4 showed workers dulling the vivid orange color of the seats as well as arranging a dimmer lighting arrangement.
 
A report from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), published in late May, determined the color of the seats as the main cause of the lack of basic courtesy and high tensions that frequently flared up in the General Assembly chamber.
 
The orange shade used made deputies feel like “attacking anyone,” the report said.
 
The report also recommended decreasing the intensity of the lights as many deputies complained of being unable to attend long-meetings due to the exhaustion caused by the bright glare of the light.
 
The rapporteur Nurettin Demir of CHP also criticized the use of artificial flowers in the chamber, which he considered “depressing,” and advised parliament to substitute these with real, seasonal flowers.
 
Workers are also dulling the white marble tiles and even the reflectivity of glass on the balconies was being reduced, according to Hürriyet.
 
The works were undertaken upon the instruction of Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek. They are expected to be finished by the Parliament’s resumption on October 1, removing any pretext based on external factors for future outbursts of deputies.