Parliament post-brawl peace efforts face obstacles

Speaking to journalists yesterday at the Sabit Osman Avcı Facilities in Ankara's Refik Belendir Street, where deputy leaders of the political party's met at Şahin's luncheon, Şahin said he regretted that the CHP was not there. “If we were together, if we had shared the same table, we would have been really happy.” He told journalists that the CHP's Kemal Anadol had called him and told him that his party would not be joining the reconciliation lunch. “They will be explaining the reason for that themselves,” Şahin said. However, he told reporters that Anadol had said that the CHP's refusal to join yesterday's luncheon was not related to Şahin.

The event comes one week after harsh words and punches were exchanged in Parliament between deputies from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the ruling AK Party over a controversy regarding the refusal in 2007 of the Gülhane Military Academy of Medicine (GATA) to allow the prime minister’s wife to enter its facilities because she wears a headscarf.

Osman Durmuş -- a deputy from the MHP -- drew the indignation of AK Party deputies when he made fun of news reports over GATA’s refusal to allow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife to enter the hospital to call on thespian Nejat Uygur. Emine Erdoğan was hoping to pay a get-well visit to Uygur but was told that she would not be allowed to enter the hospital with her headscarf on.

The MHP’s Durmuş angered AK Party deputies when he said: “How dare you not allow the wife of a prime minister, who is accepted as a prophet, to enter GATA? Who do you think you are?” AK Party deputy group chairman Bekir Bozdağ said it was tactless to call the prime minister a “prophet.”

Erdoğan was dubbed a “prophet” in November by the AK Party provincial chairman in Aydın, İsmail Hakkı Eser, who said, “We are so loyal to our prime minister and AK Party leader Erdoğan that he is a second prophet for us.”

Erdoğan also lashed out at the MHP deputy and said no one should refer to him in this way. “This is unconscionable and immoral. You seek to both garner votes over covered women and defend those who do not allow my wife to enter GATA with her headscarf,” he said.

As the prime minister kept talking, some MHP deputies exchanged punches with the AK Party’s Orhan Erdem. Ali Koyuncu, an AK Party deputy, collapsed during the fight and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Angered by the fistfight, Erdoğan left Parliament.

Also last week, Tuesday’s parliamentary session was the scene of tension between Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç and Deputy Parliament Speaker Güldal Mumcu. The deputy prime minister reacted against Mumcu when the latter allowed a CHP deputy to deliver a speech that exceeded the time limit. Addressing the deputy parliament speaker, Arınç said: “Please be fair [toward all deputies] when presiding over a parliamentary session. You are acting unfairly.”

Mumcu, in response, accused Arınç of rushing into her office before the session and attempting to give her orders, and said, “I strongly condemn your attempt.” Mumcu was fervently applauded by MHP deputies.

Arınç held a press conference on Wednesday and accused Mumcu of increasing tension in Parliament. “She is responsible for the incidents in Parliament. Fistfights between deputies were also seen in the past when Mumcu presided over sessions. She acts like a typical CHP member. If you examine the minutes of parliamentary sessions she presided over in the past, you’ll see what I mean,” he said.

Arınç also accused Mumcu of remaining silent when MHP deputies insulted the AK Party deputies.

Mumcu, a CHP deputy from İzmir, is the widow of journalist Uğur Mumcu, who was killed by a bomb planted under his automobile on Jan. 24, 1993. His murderer has yet to be captured.