The election is not a political activity, says Turkish Parliament Speaker

Political mind games are in full swing with elections approaching as politicians now call on one another to resign.

The latest to lash out at calls for his resignation is the Turkish Parliament (TBMM) speaker Binali Yıldırım. He told journalists at a breakfast session: “Parliament can regulate here, ending all discussions. Let everyone resign, then we will also resign.”

According to the news of state-run Anatolian Agency(AA), Yıldırım was with parliament correspondents at a breakfast held on the occasion of the January 10 Working Journalists’ Day.

Yıldırım replied to questions from journalists after comments made by opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) group deputy chairman Özgür Gürel: “He (Yıldırım) can’t be İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality chairman if he wins the election. Does he plan to resign as Speaker?”

No law stopping Yıldırım

The 94th ‘bylaw of the constitution’ and “other laws” do not prohibit the Speaker to be a candidate contesting an election.

But it seems the dispute is not these laws, rather the political activities of those in office are.

Shooting back, Yıldırım said: “The election is not a political activity. The election is about telling citizens about your candidacy and why you are contesting? I am asking as an essence of the work. If our parliament leader would have been chosen as an independent member then what will happen and what we will say?” asked a defensive Yıldırım.

Yıldırım suggested: “I have an offer. Let all elections candidates leave their jobs.  Let Parliament make this regulation, then this discussion will stop, let everyone resign thus I will also resign.  I am arguing that let all parliament members leave along with mayors and ministers. “Why are we so hell-bent on this point?” asked Yıldırım.

Turkey’s CHP discovers “imaginary voters” in princes’ islands

Yıldırım get toasting on social media

A Twitter user, H.Volkan Ates threw shade at Yıldırım: “You are right election is not a political activity. It is like “duck duck goose” style child play in my beloved country. I wish the end of this play in a short time.”

Criticising Yıldırım, Armağan Çağlayan, a famed TV producer asked: “The question is: what is political activity?”

Another Twitter user -Ecumhurbaşkanı- asked: “Maybe is a trade in the advanced democracies! This should be learned by life.”

Yıldırım, a Twitter user shared on his account: “Someone asks ostrich to fly but then ostrich replied as I am a camel, then asked to fly then it replied I am a bird. Everyone behaves like what serves their purpose,”

Özgür Mumcu, a critical journalist also asks: “Is everyone a parliament speaker?” While another user journalist Derya Sazak shares “towards the democracy without an election!”

Zeynep Gürcanlı, a journalist of Sozcü Daily, also asks on her Twitter account: “Binali Yıldırım said the election is not a political act. Then what is a political act?”

It’s official: Yildirim is the AK Party’s chosen man for Istanbul 

The post The election is not a political activity, says Turkish Parliament Speaker appeared first on IPA NEWS.

from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/01/11/the-election-is-not-a-political-activity-says-turkish-parliament-speaker/