ANKARA - Referring to the attacks by AKP members in Parliament, DEM Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan said: “There was such an attack in order to prevent people from talking about the lawlessness. But this cannot continue like this.” 

 

 

Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Republican People's Party (CHP), Future Party, Democratic Party, Democracy and Leap Party (DEVA Party), Saadet Party, Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) and Labor Party (EMEP) demanded an extraordinary session of Parliament after the Constitutional Court's (AYM) ruling on Can Atalay on August 9. 

 

After the aforementioned parties submitted a petition for an extraordinary meeting to the Parliament, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş called the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to convene on August 16.  

 

When the Assembly convened upon the call, DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Gülüstan Kılıç Koçyiğit was the first to be given the floor. Koçyiğit then gave the floor to TİP deputy Ahmet Şık. Şık took the floor and was attacked by AKP Izmir deputy Alpay Özalan during his speech. Koçyiğit's eyebrow was injured when she tried to prevent the attack. 

Ayşegül Doğan

 

DEM Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan reacted, “They have made the Parliament no longer a place for discussion and debate.” 

 

Stating that the right of MPs to criticize on the rostrum has been prevented, Doğan said: “If the Parliament is a place where different political parties can come together and discuss the problems in Turkey, which is claimed to be the case, this needs to be proven. Because we see the opposite in practice.”

 

'THEY ARE CLOSED TO CRITICISM'

 

Pointing to the AKP-MHP government, Doğan said that this bloc is closed to criticism and added: “They are trying to prevent anyone who wants to speak from speaking. This is not a matter of arm and wrist strength. It is not a matter of throwing a punch or not. They want to turn attacks into a routine in Parliament. Why was Ali Bozan targeted? He was targeted because of the speech he made at the rostrum. Şık was also targeted for the same reason. Those who are brave and always stand with the oppressed speak out against injustice, lawlessness and injustice. This is evident in the attitude of our deputy group leader.”

 

Drawing attention to the reflection of the footage of the attack in the Parliament on the streets, Doğan said: “How can such incidents be reflected on the streets? The government is responsible for this. This needs to be abandoned. This is political thuggery. Until today, no one who has been a perpetrator of violence has even been given a warning. Can this be normal? This situation can only be an incentive. Even the internal regulations are not being implemented. We are considering that the attack may have been planned beforehand. There was such an attack in order to prevent Can Atalay from talking about the unlawfulness. The attack was part of the plan. They wanted to prevent us from telling the truth as it is. Those who think they can solve this with attacks like this are deeply mistaken.” 

 

'ATTACK CANNOT BE THE ROUTINE OF PARLIAMENT' 

 

Doğan continued her speech as follows: “Every dissenting voice is attacked on the streets, at work, in Parliament and in every area where it resists. Of course, we will continue to resist against this and demand that the problems be solved through dialog. We will try to fulfill our responsibility for this. These will not discourage us. But this cannot continue like this. This cannot be the routine of the Parliament. Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş cannot be a bystander and turn a blind eye to this.”