In a heated exchange in Parliament on Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for attempting to disrupt the oath-taking ceremony of Akın Gürlek, the newly appointed justice minister. Erdoğan described the actions of CHP lawmakers as reminiscent of past fascism, criticizing their resort to physical confrontation during the event.
The tumultuous scene unfolded when Gürlek arrived for his swearing-in, but CHP legislators leapt onto the pulpit to obstruct him, leading to a physical clash that involved deputies from both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the CHP. Following accusations that CHP member Mahmut Tanal had tried to assault Gürlek, Osman Gökçek of the AK Party intervened. The CHP’s opposition centered around Gürlek’s previous role as chief prosecutor of Istanbul, with party officials asserting that their resistance was primarily due to his involvement in corruption investigations targeting CHP-run municipalities.
During a meeting in Ankara with provincial chairs of the AK Party, Erdoğan denounced what he termed the “fascist, arrogant politics of the CHP,” accusing them of employing “banditry” to hinder the swearing-in of government ministers, including recently appointed Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi. Erdoğan dismissed the CHP’s attempts to obstruct the ceremony, emphasizing that it was the ministers’ constitutional right to take their oaths. He challenged CHP Chair Özgür Özel, stating that the party’s methods could not thwart the government’s agenda.
Erdoğan also criticized the hostile atmosphere created by the CHP lawmakers, questioning their commitment to representing the people’s rights in Parliament. He called the party’s political behavior “ugly,” underscoring how the incident erodes public trust in political institutions. Addressing the meeting, both newly inducted ministers, Gürlek and Çiftçi, expressed gratitude to Erdoğan for their appointments.
Beneath the contentious exchanges, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli also expressed strong disapproval of the CHP’s actions, labeling them as anti-democratic and decrying their lack of respect for the political process. He asserted that the CHP’s behavior was detrimental to the Turkish state and its governance, reaffirming MHP’s support for the newly appointed ministers.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the intense political divisions in Turkey, highlighting ongoing tensions between the ruling party and the opposition. The fervor surrounding Gürlek’s appointment and the CHP’s aggression exemplifies the charged atmosphere within the Turkish Parliament, reflecting broader tensions in the country’s political landscape.