Turkish Parliament names AK Party’s Kurtulmuş as speaker
REGION 07 June 2023 - 20:43
Türkiye’s Parliament, formally known as the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), has elected Numan Kurtulmuş, deputy chairperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), as its 30th speaker.
All members of Parliament cast their secret votes in three sessions on Wednesday and Kurtulmuş received 317 votes in the first round, short of the majority required for an outright win, leading to a second round. He received 321 votes in the third round of voting, Daily Sabah reports.
Lawmakers voted again in the second round seeking two-thirds of the parliamentary seats.
As the joint candidate of the AK Party and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Kurtulmuş beat six other candidates to the top.
His rivals included Tekin Bingöl, nominated by the Republican People's Party (CHP), Tülay Hatimoğulları, nominated by Green Left Party (YSP), Cihan Paçacı from the Good Party (IP), Mustafa Yeneroğlu from the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), Serap Yazıcı Özbudun from the Future Party (GP) and Can Atalay from the Turkish Labor Party (TIP).
Kurtulmuş will succeed Mustafa Şentop, an AK Party lawmaker elected in 2019. The parliamentary speaker is elected twice every legislative period for two-year and three-year tenures.
Türkiye went to polls for the parliamentary and presidential vote on May 14, as well as a historic runoff on May 28. Erdoğan has remained Türkiye’s 12th ruling president and become the 13th in the line of elected leaders. The people have directly elected the Turkish president since the constitutional amendment was made in 2007.
As the oldest member of Parliament, AK Party ally Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli temporarily replaced Şentop after the elections.
Kurtulmuş, a renowned academic, made his foray into politics in 1998 and joined the AK Party in 2012. He served as deputy prime minister and minister of culture and tourism in the past AK Party governments before he was appointed the party’s deputy chair in 2018.
On June 2, 600 lawmakers elected or reelected to Parliament were sworn in.
The AK Party won 268 seats, the most in Parliament, in May 14 polls, as it entered its third decade in power with the latest victory. In addition to the AK Party, its People’s Alliance partners MHP won 50 seats, and the New Welfare Party (YRP) won five, securing a combined majority of 323 seats out of the total in Parliament.
With 169 deputies, the CHP, along with its coalition partner, the IP, secured a total of 212 seats in Parliament, representing the main opposition Nation’s Alliance. The smaller partners of the CHP-led six-party opposition coalition got almost 40 lawmakers by entering the parliamentary elections under CHP lists.
The Labor and Freedom Alliance won Parliament’s remaining 65 seats, comprised of the YSP with 61 seats and TIP with four.
Of the 36 political parties that competed for parliamentary seats, a total of 15 will be making up Parliament in its new term in five separate groups, but most of their leaders are to be absent from the assembly after failing to be elected as lawmakers.
Cabinet sworn in
Before Kurtulmuş was named, new Cabinet members too, took their oaths of office in Parliament.
The 18-member Cabinet, including Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and spymaster-turned Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, held its first meeting on Tuesday under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chairpersonship.
Together with the Cabinet, Erdoğan vowed to serve all of Türkiye and its 85 million people and assured they would prioritize education, in addition to economic stability, security and constitutional change.
Erdoğan, who triumphed in the runoff on May 28, entered his third decade with the AK Party at the helm of Türkiye, either as prime minister or president.
Among the most pressing issues awaiting him and his new Cabinet is inflation, which affects daily life, from food prices to rent. The president has promised to reduce inflation to single digits and the latest figures, down under 40% for the first time in 16 months, appear promising.
Another item on the Cabinet’s agenda is reconstruction in earthquake-hit provinces in Türkiye’s southeast. Dubbed the “disaster of the century,” two earthquakes claimed more than 50,000 lives in several provinces, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Though the government was criticized for a “slow response” by the opposition, Erdoğan emerged victorious in almost all disaster-hit provinces in the elections, assuring his government would zero in on rebuilding areas devastated by the earthquake and reconstructing the region where more than 300,000 buildings were damaged.
The state of Syrian refugees, their safe and swift return, as well as counterterrorism efforts, particularly operations against the terrorist group PKK, will be urgent topics Erdoğan and his Cabinet will be tackling.
Caliber.Az
1
|
20 points. What did Armenia, the EU and the US agree on in Brussels? Sensational details on Caliber.Az
17 April 2024 - 11:01
|
2
|
Iran seeks international backing following missile strikes on Israel Raisi calls Russia & Qatari leaders amid tension
17 April 2024 - 16:56
|
3
|
Serbian President seeks Azerbaijani support amid Western pressures Insights from Political Scientist Stevan Gajić
17 April 2024 - 13:10
|
4
|
French ambassador recalled from Azerbaijan amidst bilateral strain Macron admits defeat
17 April 2024 - 15:19
|
5
|
Is Ukraine on the edge? Big vulnerabilities
17 April 2024 - 16:13
|
Saudi Arabia's $500 billion Neom megacity reportedly seeking new sources of cash
20 April 2024 - 07:03
Ukraine’s frontline is collapsing – and Britain may soon be at war
20 April 2024 - 05:04
Can TikTok's owner afford to lose its killer app?
20 April 2024 - 03:05
Sydney bishop forgives alleged attacker and urges followers not to retaliate
20 April 2024 - 01:03
US blocks Palestine from becoming UN full member
19 April 2024 - 23:00
Egypt, Türkiye to discuss bilateral trade, regional issues, including Gaza
19 April 2024 - 20:59
Geneva to host Turkic Week for the first time
PHOTO19 April 2024 - 20:49
Azerbaijani FM commends outgoing Algerian envoy’s diplomatic service
Discusses bilateral ties & regional developments19 April 2024 - 20:39
NATO approves Azerbaijani-Romanian project
19 April 2024 - 20:30
Baku Airport once again awarded Skytrax
19 April 2024 - 20:21
Punitive op against Israel untied country: Raisi
19 April 2024 - 19:59
US leader weighs another $1 billion in arms sales to Israel
19 April 2024 - 19:42
Parliamentarian hails Azerbaijani president's strategic triumph
For restoring control over four villages19 April 2024 - 19:35
Tensions mount over religious freedom in India
Concerns rise amid BJP's influence and controversial policies19 April 2024 - 19:22
Azerbaijani top prosecutor becomes vice-president of International Association of Prosecutors
19 April 2024 - 19:14
Second-in-command: Hezbollah would respond to Israeli escalation
19 April 2024 - 19:02
Azerbaijani top diplomat, outgoing Italian envoy mull relations & regional dynamics
19 April 2024 - 18:50
Secretary of State: US can not support major military operation in Rafah
19 April 2024 - 18:42
Azerbaijan commends return of four Armenia-controlled villages
19 April 2024 - 18:30
Azerbaijani FM, Palestinian PM discuss situation in Gaza
19 April 2024 - 18:22
Armenian analyst confirms Caliber.Az information
Secret talks in Brussels19 April 2024 - 18:17
Azerbaijan achieves return of villages seized by Armenia
New stage of bolstering nation’s sovereignty19 April 2024 - 18:12
Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz customs services eye to cooperate
19 April 2024 - 18:02
France's ambassador recall from Azerbaijan
A symbolic gesture or strategic misstep?19 April 2024 - 18:00
Türkiye calls for restraint amid reported Israel attack on Iran
19 April 2024 - 17:42
Rogun Hydropower Plant in action and Tajikistan’s energy needs
Blessing or curse?19 April 2024 - 17:37
Public hearings on Azerbaijan's preliminary objections end at International Court of Justice
19 April 2024 - 17:22
Azerbaijan, Armenia agree on important points of border delimitation
Details19 April 2024 - 17:09
US criticises Russian peacekeepers' withdrawal from Karabakh
Revealing double standards in South Caucasus policy19 April 2024 - 17:05
G7 FMs remain committed to fully enforcing sanctions on Russia
19 April 2024 - 17:02
Armenia's shift towards West sparks geopolitical concerns, potential security risks
Armenia may become a target for Iranian or Russian missiles19 April 2024 - 16:45
World's largest Chinese telescope spots over 900 pulsars
19 April 2024 - 16:42
Azerbaijani President, German Chancellor to hold talks in Berlin
19 April 2024 - 16:26
Azerbaijani, Russian leaders discuss further development of strategic partnership
19 April 2024 - 16:24
Russia likely lost rare air surveillance system, Fundament-M
19 April 2024 - 16:21
Argentina takes first step toward NATO partnership
19 April 2024 - 16:01
G7 FMs urge Armenia, Azerbaijan to adhere to peace process
19 April 2024 - 15:35
Azerbaijani delegation to observe parliamentary elections in Maldives
19 April 2024 - 15:31
The Gulf ramps up efforts to stabilize the Middle East
Uneasy alliance19 April 2024 - 15:19
European Commission President von der Leyen visits Finland’s eastern border
19 April 2024 - 15:11