Mysterious ‘fashion critic’ in Turkey’s parliament baffles lawmakers

ANKARA

Turkey’s parliament has put arguments and acrimony on the back burner for the moment in the quest to determine the identity of a mysterious “fashion critic” on Twitter who has begun evaluating honorable members’ choice of attire.

“İknur İnceöz [the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) deputy parliamentary group chair], I wish you’d put a little bit more color in your combination. Deputy parliamentary group chairs should put extra effort into their clothing,” wrote Twitter user “yasinyobaz.”

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahçeli head has been in the firing line of party dissidents for weeks over his refusal to go to an extraordinary convention that could see him lose his long-held position, but on this occasion, he attracted the opprobrium of yasinyobaz and their sharp eye for fashion.

“Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, you can’t button up your jacket while sitting. You make the same mistake every time you are in the General Assembly,” the tweet read. 

And lest İnceöz feel aggrieved that other deputy parliamentary groups chair had escaped an upbraiding for their fashion faux pas, İdris Baluken, her opposite number from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), also got a stern sartorial talking-to from the Twitter user.

“Mr. İdris Baluken, if you gain one or two kilos, then the jacket you’re wearing will be too tight for you,” read another tweet.

Lawmakers have begun to ask parliamentary correspondents if they are responsible for the tweets after becoming suspicious of journalists who had commented on their clothes. 

The omnipresent Yasinyobaz, however, pronounced their quest for revelations to be futile. “To those who are trying to find out who I am: don’t waste your time and effort. I am everywhere, but nowhere at the same time,” the user said on May 29 after the existence of the account was reported by the media.