'I'm the deputy speaker of the parliament but I have a travel ban'

While the General Assembly discussions were ongoing, Saadet Party Group Deputy Chairman İsa Mesih Şahin proposed that a delegation, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the knowledge of Egypt and the United Nations, should visit the region, including the bombed hospital in Rafah and the Rafah Border Crossing, to conduct an on-site inspection. In response, TBMM Deputy Speaker Sırrı Süreyya Önder pointed out the travel ban he and 15 Green Left party deputies face, imposed without a court order and initiated by a bureaucrat from the Ministry of Interior: "I am the Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, but I have a travel ban."

Sırrı Süreyya Önder expressed his wish to be part of such a delegation, saying, "I would really love to go with all my heart, to see those pains up close and be a voice for them... But I have a travel ban. And I am the Deputy Speaker of this Assembly.

"My travel ban was imposed by a court. The Assembly can say, 'We cannot interfere with the will of the court.' However, 15 of our party deputies, without any court order, cannot participate in this trip due to a restriction on their passports, which was initiated by a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Interior. Not only do they have restrictions on their passports, but their children, spouses, and first-degree relatives also have these restrictions.

"A bureaucrat, positioning himself above the judiciary, can limit the travel freedom of a deputy here. Let's put personalities aside: My travel ban was imposed by a court. The suspension of prosecution, parliamentary immunity... I won't go into these debates. I believe that this should be the concern of the entire Assembly.

"I wanted to share this sentiment. Especially in times like these, the absurdity of it becomes even more apparent. Thank you for listening." (AEK/VK)