AYŞEGÜL KAHVECİOĞLU / EVRİN GÜVENDİK - The special session witnessed both protests and gestures. In his opening speech to the General Assembly, which he personally chaired, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, gave critical messages under three main headings: the Terror-Free Türkiye process, the new constitution and the funding crisis. Kurtulmuş said the following in summary:
TERRORISM-FREE Türkiye: Our Parliament has three responsibilities: The first one is to monitor it through the monitoring commission we will establish. The second is to monitor the determinations made by the security institutions regarding the termination and disarmament of the terrorist organization and the decisions of the executive on a file basis, within the limits of the law. The third is to strive to address these issues by consensus if there are necessary legal regulations.
NEW CONSTITUTION: We have to renew the constitutional framework, which bears the traces of the coup period, with the participation of the nation.
FUNDING CRISIS: Allegations of irregularities and unfair profits must be thoroughly investigated, and whoever is involved must be held accountable.
They met at the reception
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, held a reception at the Assembly Ceremony Hall last night. When President Erdoğan's expected attendance did not take place, it was noteworthy that AK Party deputies did not show any interest in the reception. NEW Party Leader Özgür Özel and CHP Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did not attend the reception. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli, İYİ Party Leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu, Saadet Party Leader Mahmut Arıkan and Re-Welfare Party Leader Fatih Erbakan and İmralı Delegation members Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar attended.
Answering the questions of journalists, Kurtulmuş said, regarding the departure of the NEW Party Group before President Erdoğan started speaking at the General Assembly, "The responsibility that politics must fulfill is to show minimum courtesy to the Presidential office. It has never been stylish." MHP Chairman Bahçeli also said, "It was not right for the NEW Party to leave while our President was in the hall. The NEW Party should be the party that brings innovations to politics."
Regarding today's meeting of the Fund Coordination Board, Vice President Yılmaz said, "What additional can be done, in which areas additional work is needed, we will evaluate them together with our Board."
Kılıçdaroğlu is in the lodge
CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu followed the session with his staff from the lodge reserved for them. Former Speakers of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, foreign mission chiefs, ambassadors, rectors of some universities and bureaucrats also watched the session from separate lodges.
The first ceremony was held at the Atatürk Monument. The first ceremony was held at the Atatürk Monument in the Parliament campus. New Party Chairman Özgür Özel, GNAT Deputy Speakers Celal Adan, Tekin Bingöl and Pervin Buldan and AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler attended the ceremony.
Leaders at the General Assembly At the beginning of the special session, New Party Leader Özgür Özel, MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli, DEM Party Co-Chairs Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları, İYİ Party Leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu, Felicity Party Leader Mahmut Arıkan, Re-Welfare Party Leader Fatih Erbakan took their places at the General Assembly.
Rose gesture from Bahçeli
Erdoğan thanked Bahçeli for the Terror-Free Türkiye process. Meanwhile, MHP MPs stood up and applauded. After completing his speech, Erdoğan went to the rows and shook hands with DEM Party Co-Chairmen and Group Deputy Chairmen, and CHP Group Deputy Chairmen Rahmi Aşkın Türeli and Sevda Erden Kılıç. Then he shook hands with Bahçeli, who was waiting for him in front of the stenographers' table with a white and a red rose in his hand. Erdoğan also shook hands with Dervişoğlu and Arıkan. Bahçeli also shook Dervişoğlu's hand.
