Turkish Parliament implements security measures against deputy fights in new legislative year

Duvar English

The Turkish Parliament on Oct. 1 resumed its legislative work after a two-month break. The opening ceremony of the 28th term’s third legislative year took place. The General Assembly is set to hold its first session of the new legislative year on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The first item on the agenda was expected to be the discussion of the second part of the Teaching Profession Law proposal, which had its first section approved in the previous legislative year. Debate on the proposal had been postponed to the new legislative year following strong reactions from labor unions.

Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan was scheduled to deliver a presentation to members of Parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee on Oct. 3. Karahan was expected to provide a comprehensive presentation on global developments, the Turkish economy, inflation, and monetary policy.

The agenda for the new legislative year included several controversial legislative measures left over from the previous term. While the priority was expected to be the passage of the 9th Judicial Package, which had been approved by the committee but not brought to the General Assembly, reports indicated that the government was also preparing a new judicial package. This new package was said to include "sentencing reforms" and the "foreign influence agent" clause, which had been removed from the 9th Judicial Package following criticism.

Another key issue for the new term would be the discussion of a new constitution. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş had visited political parties in Parliament during the previous term to discuss the new constitution. He planned to resume his consultations after Oct. 1 to discuss the procedure and content of the new constitution. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had also pointed to the new legislative year as the time to address the constitutional issue.

Economic reforms would be one of the most significant items on Parliament’s agenda in the new legislative year. A new bill addressing economic regulations was expected to be introduced during the first week of October. The bill was said to include new measures to combat the informal economy.

A draft competition law aimed at regulating digital platforms was also set to be brought before Parliament. The proposal aimed to reduce digital tax losses and prevent companies like Amazon, Facebook, X, and Starlink from dominating the market.

One of the major items on the Assembly's agenda was the 2025 budget. The budget was expected to be submitted to Parliament in mid-October and discussed in the Planning and Budget Committee in November. It would be finalized in the General Assembly by Dec. 31.

New precautionary measures were implemented at the Parliament ahead of the new legislative year, in response to the emergencies and fights during sessions of last year.

During the previous budget discussions, Welfare Party (SP) Kocaeli deputy Hasan Bitmez collapsed and received immediate aid from health professionals in Parliament. Bitmez was taken to the hospital but did not survive. In response, an emergency button was installed near the Presidency Council's section to speed up medical interventions for members of Parliament who experience health issues. The button, to be used by the deputy speaker, would alert medical teams to enter and provide assistance.

Various measures to reduce the risks of fights and disputes in Parliament were also introduced in this term. Sharp corners on the steps leading to the rostrum were rounded off to prevent physical injuries in the General Assembly.

During an Oct. 1 press conference at the Parliament, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Group Deputy Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit found the injury mitigation efforts at the parliament insufficient and blamed Speaker Kurtulmuş for not preventing violence during sessions. 

She stated, "During the extraordinary General Assembly session held for Can Atalay, we saw that the Speaker of the Parliament remained silent in the face of the violence perpetrated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) members and aligned with them in this regard. It is not enough to grind down the marble steps of the General Assembly. We invite the Speaker to move beyond the marble, focus on the AKP group, and speak out against the real source of violence."