Last week the agenda in Türkiye was shaped once again by developments in the region.
A closed session on the Israeli aggression was held in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM). Demonstrations to show support for Palestine took place across the country. President Erdoğan gave signals of potential cabinet changes.
Closed Session in parliament on Israeli aggression
Israeli aggression continues to shape Türkiye’s agenda, much like in the rest of the region.
Recently, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, stating, “The Israeli government, acting under the delusion of ‘promised lands,’ will eventually set its sights on our homeland after Palestine and Lebanon. Israeli aggression threatens Türkiye too. We will stand against this state terror with every means at our disposal for our nation, our homeland and our independence”. The leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the coalition partner, supported Erdoğan’s statements.
The leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, responded to Erdoğan’s remarks by requesting a briefing from the government, saying, “We believe the Turkish Grand National Assembly must be informed immediately. We ask for clarification on all unknowns to dispel any speculation about what might happen in Türkiye.”
As a result, the TBMM convened in a closed session. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler briefed the deputies on Israel’s attacks and developments in West Asia.
TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş made the following remarks in the only opening section open to the public:
“Israel’s occupation plans did not begin last year. In fact, this process, which has been ongoing since last year and whose end is unknown, is the third phase of a historical process. This began in 1917. Through wars and conflicts, Israel has advanced step by step to occupy a significant portion of Palestinian lands.
The situations in Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Libya are in front of our eyes. This caused the Middle Eastern countries and peoples into fragmentation and within a short span of 20 years, we have reached October 2023. In October 2023, Israel geared up with all its force. The human rights violations being committed are among the most brutal in human history.
Israel, having found the countries in the region fragmented and some friendly countries on its side, wants to make a last, final shot.
As the Turkish Grand National Assembly, we must proceed in unity and solidarity against Israel’s expansionist policies, which we view as a national security threat.”
Following Kurtulmuş’s remarks, the closed session began. The details of the closed session are considered state secrets and are not published.
After the session, CHP leader Özgür Özel commented:
“We will not reveal what was said in the closed session, but we will expose what wasn’t said. Now I’ll tell you openly: my group vice presidents and I and the whole parliament listened intently. But they didn’t say anything we didn’t already know. (…) The thing is that Erdoğan made that claim about Israel to distract the public from the real issues of poverty, unemployment and economic hardship. I accuse the president of manipulating the public.”
Demonstrations for Palestine
On October 5-6, the Turkish people held demonstrations to show support to Palestine in nearly 60 cities. Political parties, associations and organizations participated.
In the capital Ankara, tens of thousands of people gathered for a march organized by the Ankara Palestine Solidarity Platform (ANFİDAP).
Trade union Memur-Sen Ankara Branch President Nevzat Öylek spoke at the march on behalf of ANFİDAP: “We are here to express our solidarity with the Palestinian people is subjected to genocide.”
Another large demonstration took place in Istanbul. Organized by the Palestine Action Committee, the demonstration called for severing all ties with Israel and imposing an embargo. Protesters carried banners reading “Murderous Israel, get out of the Middle East,” and “Israel with trade is a betrayal to Palestine”. The participants also carried the posters of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish human rights defender killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. Gathering in front of the German consulate, the demonstration also criticized Germany for its support of Israel by slogans.
Gülyeter Aktepe, speaking on behalf of the Palestine Action Committee, criticized Türkiye for supplying Israel with strategic materials such as steel, chemicals and fuel. Despite being stepped back due to pressure from the Turkish public, Aktepe said, the government still provides Israel with petrol and electricity. Aktepe added that “Türkiye also continues to give intelligence support to the genocidal state with NATO military bases in the country”.
Erdoğan signals cabinet reshuffle
President Erdoğan is going for changes in the cabinet. Some reports in the media suggest that the reshuffle is driven by declining vote rates, rising crime rates and allegedly tensions among ministers.
Erdoğan hinted at changes, stating, “Two members of our cabinet were already changed. Now, in this new process, we may see some changes among vice chairs and perhaps within the cabinet as well. We will assess the situation and make adjustments accordingly.”
Recently the Turkish public has been shaken by successive crimes. President Erdoğan, commenting on the increase in criminal activity, indicated that new regulations would be introduced:
“If there is a weakness within our police force, we will address it. If there are blockages or mistakes in our justice system, we will fix them. If there are issues with promoting crime or glorifying it in the media or on social media, we will intervene.” Erdoğan added that a new unit would be established within the Ministry of Justice accordingly.