AKP Shortens Parliamentary Speech Time, CHP, HDP Leave Parliament

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The motion proposed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group foreseeing the shortening of parliamentary speech time regarding international conventions, which is designated as per internal regulation, caused tension at the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) yesterday (April 5).

Despite the objections raised by the MPs of the main opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman said that the motion would still be put to vote, which led the MPs of CHP and HDP to leave the General Assembly.

The motion was approved by the votes of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and AKP MPs. With the motion approved, the parliamentary speech time on behalf of the group and government, which was previously 20 minutes, has been reduced to five minutes, while personal speech time has been shortened from 10 minutes to three minutes.

Sancar did not put the motion in process

AKP brought this motion to the General Assembly during the session which was chaired by Mithat Sancar, who is the Deputy Parliament Speaker and Mardin MP of HDP. Sancar did not put the motion in process on the ground that such a process would not be compatible with the internal regulation since it would bring about a change in internal regulation by means of a group proposal.

AKP proposed the motion again

Upon the refusal of Sancar to put the motion in process, the AKP brought it again to the General Assembly yesterday. The Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman summoned the group deputy chairpersons of all four parties to a meeting, where he announced that he would himself chair the session of the General Assembly where the motion of the AKP would be discussed so that "no tension would arise."

CHP and HDP left the General Assembly

After the method discussion, the Parliament Speaker Kahraman said that he would put the motion to vote. The Group Deputy Chairperson of the CHP Özgür Özel stated that they would not accept the vote of a motion violating the internal regulation and added, "We are leaving the Parliament in order to lay claim to it." The MPs of HDP also announced that they would not be a part of this process and left the General Assembly Hall. (HK/SD)

*Source: Meclis Haber (Parliament News)