THREE MPS JOIN AKP, SHIFTING PARLIAMENTARY BALANCE
Three lawmakers, who had resigned from their parties, joined the ruling AKP on Jan. 7, raising the party’s seat count to 275 and further shifting parliamentary arithmetic.
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RULING AKP OPENS DOOR TO SCRAPPING TRUSTEE SYSTEM IN KURDISH PEACE TALKS
A key lawmaker, Mustafa Şen, from Turkey's ruling AKP suggested that the government should discontinue the practice of appointing state trustees to replace elected mayors. 'The terrorist organization has concluded its activity. Therefore, if a trustee was appointed to a municipality for that reason, we believe the practice should now be ended,' Şen stated.
THE LAST DANCE OF THE EFE IN HIGH HEELS
Özlem Çerçioğlu has been elected mayor of Aydın from the CHP for four consecutive terms. She also previously served two terms as a CHP lawmaker. Before delving into the political dimension, it’s worth examining the nickname she’s been given—“Topuklu Efe” (Efe in High Heels).
PARLIAMENT IN FLUX AS PARTY SHIFTS ACCELERATE
The arithmetic in the Turkish Parliament is shifting rapidly, as party defections mount. Since the May 2023 elections, 35 lawmakers have resigned from their parties, significantly altering the composition of parliament. The İYİ Party has shrunk from 43 to 29 MPs; DEVA has dropped from 15 to 9; and Gelecek from 10 to 4. Of the defectors, 11 joined the AKP and 10 moved to the CHP. Fourteen now sit as independents.
DEBATE OVER HIJRAH FOR GAZANS
“We are absolutely against this,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a group of AKP lawmakers about plans to depopulate the Gaza Strip, according to daily Hürriyet. This statement came amid a debate that broke out over the concept of Hijrah for Gazans.