Government Fails To Attend Parliament: Extraordinary Session Blocked By Lack Of Quorum

The plenary session of the Republic’s Assembly, scheduled as an extraordinary sitting with “Public Security” on its agenda, failed to reach a quorum. The agenda included reviewing the government’s policies and measures on public security as part of Parliament’s oversight function, strengthening the effectiveness of relevant institutions and discussing additional measures.

However, as government MPs were absent from the plenary at the scheduled time, the required quorum could not be reached. As a result, the extraordinary session requested by opposition and independent MPs to discuss public security could not take place.

The plenary, chaired by Parliament Speaker Ziya Öztürkler, attempted to convene at 10:45 a.m. but failed to do so due to a lack of quorum.

ŞAHALİ CRITICISES GOVERNMENT PARTIES

Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Group Deputy Leader Erkut Şahali took the floor and criticised and condemned the government parties for preventing the session from taking place by withholding the quorum for the meeting called to discuss public security.

Şahali said public security was not an issue that anyone should turn into election material.

The agenda of the plenary included “reviewing the government’s policies and measures to ensure public security within the framework of Parliament’s oversight function in response to problems that have recently intensified in the country and deepened public concerns over security, discussing measures to strengthen the effectiveness of relevant institutions and considering additional measures that could be taken.”

The call for the extraordinary session was made by several MPs from the CTP group, as well as independent Kyrenia MP Jale Refik Rogers and independent Famagusta MP Ayşegül Baybars.

WHY DID THE GOVERNMENT NOT ATTEND?

Government coalition partners defended their decision not to attend the session, arguing that the security issue had been brought onto the agenda for political purposes.

National Unity Party (UBP) leader and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said in a statement regarding the CTP’s call that official police reports, concrete figures and comparable data did not show that the country had become less safe than in previous years or that there had been shortcomings in solving crimes.

Üstel argued that portraying the country as an “island of insecurity” or an “island of murders” ahead of the upcoming elections was incompatible with responsible politics.

While Üstel said they had no objection to the opposition raising its criticisms and proposals on security through democratic channels, including Parliament, he said the government would not support turning the extraordinary session into a “political show”.

He also said that if the required signatures were secured and a call was made in accordance with Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, government MPs would attend Parliament and present their views.

Yeniden Doğuş Party (YDP) leader and Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı also announced that YDP MPs would not attend the extraordinary session.

Although acknowledging that some alarming criminal incidents had occurred, Arıklı argued that the TRNC was one of the safest countries in the world and described raising claims of a security problem in Parliament for the purpose of a “show” as irresponsible.

Arıklı said concerns over security would be better addressed by the National Security Council and announced that YDP would not attend the extraordinary session, which he claimed was intended for “show and populist purposes”.

As a result of the government side’s decision not to attend, the plenary failed to reach the required quorum and the extraordinary session on public security could not be held.