AKP refers former Diyarbakır MP to Disciplinary Board

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Central Executive Board has referred its 22nd and 22rd term Diyarbakır MP Mehmet İhsan Arslan, also a founding member of the party, to the Disciplinary Board.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the Central Executive Board has taken the decision in a unanimous vote.

He criticized AKP policies

The decision of the AKP Central Executive Board came shortly after Arslan gave an interview to Ece Göksedef from BBC Turkish on November 17.

Answering the questions of the journalist, the former MP has criticized the policies of the AKP regarding the Kurdish question, the appointment of trustees to the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) municipalities and the Presidential system. Some of these criticisms are as follows:

'We have put aside principles'

"We have become the system itself in the country. To be honest, we have put aside principles. We have preferred to work with whoever will help us come to power or remain in power in the next elections.

"In the periods when we needed Kurds' votes, we kept their demands on the table. Afterwards, when we realized that this would take us to dangerous waters, this time, we have decided to do politics with the support of different circles and thereby remain in power. Our current alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is the last stage of such a process.

'20 million people cannot be terrorists'

(Kurdish question) "What we are faced with is not just about terrorism. I mean, there are six million active [voters]; when we consider the entire population, it makes 20 million people. We have a population supporting the HDP, a population resisting despite anti-democratic practices. All those 20 million people cannot be terrorists.

"We are, unfortunately, not on a sound ground. We used to criticize it, saying, 'We, as the AK Party, is not a party to bomb our own lands.' But, now, we are again bombing our own mountains day and night.

(Appointment of trustees) "You like it or not, we say that the will of the people is sacred, the people elected them. I think this needs to be respected. If there is corruption, something unfair, a direct communication with terror, aid or whathere, then, there is the law, there is the judiciary and the security, the necessary intervention is made. But if you appoint trustees by disregarding the people's will, then I do not approve it. History will note it as well.

"It is a bit difficult to gain trust. Because it is us who have destroyed it, we have got used to saying so many things that we cannot do. We gave hopes, but we have not fulfilled them. While there used to be hopes that Mr. Erdoğan would resolve this problem, these hopes are no longer there. Because we have also attempted to solve this problem with violence.

"Public awareness about violations of rights and unlawful practices is increasing, people are becoming more aware. The sense of Kurdishness and demands for political rights are stronger than ever before.

'Presidential system must be reviewed'

"To be frank, we have panicked after July 15 [coup attempt in 2016] and reached the conclusion that we can only succeed if we use the judiciary in the face of the gravity of the situation. We have desperately started to use all tactics and tools that were used by them while using the judiciary.

"This presidential system must be reviewed and discussed in detail. While we used to defend a human-centered system in the past, we have been faced with a hundred-percent centrist system in the current situation. A system, a functioning bound to the will of a single person.

"We look [and see that] the more we drift apart from an institutional structure, the more likely a single person makes mistakes while giving a decision. Some of us do not admit it, but, I think, there is no longer separation of powers. When the supervisory power of the judiciary is no more, everything is left at the whim of a single person. And this is a very grave situation.

"I think that it is a period and it will pass. I am of the opinion that after it passes, a transition to the Parliamentary system in Turkey is not far away.

"Today or tomorrow, I do not find it right that the ones who come to power make their family members partners in the government." (EKN/SD)