* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)
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The Parliamentary Commission on Budgetary and Planning hosted the 2022 budget talks of the Interior Ministry and its affiliated institutions, the Gendarmerie General Command, Directorate General of Security, Coast Guard Command, Directorate General of Migration Management and Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency yesterday (November 22).
In 2022, 117 billion 457 million 299 thousand Turkish Lira has been allocated to the Interior Ministry and its affiliated institutions from the central budget. In 2021, the budget of the Ministry and the related institutions was 89 billion 424 million lira. It has increased by 30 percent this year.
The budget to be allocated to the Interior Ministry Center, which was 10 billion 665 million lira in 2021, has been increased by 4 billion 69 million 200 thousand lira to 14 billion 734 million 260 thousand lira.
The budget of the Ministry and its five affiliated institutions, which was 29 billion 291 million 246 thousand lira in 2015, has increased by 300 percent to 117 billion 457 thousand 299 thousand lira in 7 years.
Tension rose between Minister Soylu and the opposition MPs while he was presenting the 2022 budget of the Interior Ministry.
Soylu addressed main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Engin Özkoç and said, "Don't laugh over there. Our sons are falling martyrs and you are just laughing."
The CHP and some other opposition MPs protested these remarks. Interior Minister Soylu left the meeting hall by accusing the CHP of "asking for votes from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)."
The commission meeting continued after a 10-minute break.
During the meeting, CHP MPs had some banners in front of them which read, "Who is the politician who receives 10 thousand dollars?"
Indicted for leading a criminal organization, Sedat Peker previously targeted Interior Minister Soylu in his videos on social media. Soylu alleged that "there was an MP receiving a wage of 10 thousand from Sedat Peker." However, the Minister did not unveil the name of the MP.
During the budget talks, Süleyman Soylu also targeted the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) through the families who have been protesting in front of the HDP offices, claiming that "their children were taken to the mountains by the HDP" to join the outlawed PKK.
HDP Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan responded to Soylu's targeting remarks, saying, "You are lying, you are casting aspersions, you are provoking. You are the biggest trouble of this country. Would it be okay if we said, 'You are sending personnel from the AKP to ISIS'?"
Referring to the recent documents and allegations which also involve Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, HDP Adana MP Tülay Hatimoğulları asked, "As required by the political ethics, the Minister should resign from office and accept being put on trial. The judiciary should step in. I would like to ask you, Mr. Minister: Will you resign from office?"
Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) İstanbul MP Sera Kadıgil gave the book "Duvar" (Wall) as a gift to Süleyman Soylu. The book is based on the report prepared by the TİP in the light of the statements and revelations of Sedat Peker, who is facing a warrant for leading a criminal organization.
Sera Kadıgil told Minister Soylu, "Mr. Minister, as you know, we are not given the floor to speak at length like other parties. So, we give you the 'Wall' as a gift where we have compiled all allegations in writing. It will perhaps pave the way for an investigation to be launched."
TİP İstanbul MP Ahmet Şık also asked Interior Minister Soylu a series of questions, including the following:
(KÖ/SD)
* Sources: MA, AA, BBC Türkçe