Releasing a written statement on his Twitter account yesterday afternoon (November 24), Bülent Arınç has announced that he has resigned from office as a member of the Presidential High Advisory Board.

The resignation of Bülent Arınç, also a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and a former Parliamentary Speaker, came after President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli criticized him over his remarks about Selahattin Demirtaş and Osman Kavala.

The Presidential Communications Directorate has also released a brief statement, confirming that his resignation has been accepted by Erdoğan.

'Focus of my speech was reform'

In his written statement on social media, Bülent Arınç has stated that he "felt the need to make a statement as the speeches he had made on a television program sparked vigorous public debate."

Referring to his speech, Arınç said, "The major focus of my speech was the reform to be introduced. I expressed my opinion as a legist. As a person who has defended the rule of law and justice all through my life, I once again expressed the same opinions of mine."

Bülent Arınç has also indicated that "when journalists asked him questions by naming certain persons during the program, he underlined that they should not discuss the issue through names."

Arguing that the debates were "taken the wrong way," Arınç has indicated that his name was mentioned together with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)", which was held responsible for the coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Arınç has reiterated that "he spoke at the program not as the member of the Presidential High Advisory Board, but as Bülent Arınç." 

Within this context, Arınç has indicated that "Turkey's need for a reform in judiciary, economy and other fields is obvious," adding, "As I also mentioned on the related television program several times, I have seen our Mr. President's will to do this and I support it."

Expressing his concerns that "his speech might hinder the related reform efforts," Bülent Arınç has announced that he has resigned from his post as the member of the Presidential High Advisory Board.

He has also added that he submitted his resignation to President Erdoğan, who has also approved Arınç's resignation.

What happened?

Bülent Arınç, who is also one of the founding members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and a former Parliamentary Speaker, made remarks about the continued arrest of Selahattin Demirtaş, the arrested former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and Osman Kavala, the arrested businessperson and rights defender.

Attending a live program at Habertürk TV yesterday on November 19, Arınç referred to the indictments lodged against Kavala and Demirtaş and said, "I thought that they could not be even a child's work, I even felt like wearing the tog." Expressing his "astonishment" that Kavala was still arrested, he said, "Demirtaş can be released as well."

"As the issue of Demirtaş has come up, I would like to say something to the ones who are now listening to us. There is a very nice storybook written by Demirtaş, its name is 'Devran.' Please, buy and read it.

"I have read it in this process. You will perhaps not change your views on Demirtaş after reading it, but so much will change in your minds about Kurds and the trauma experienced by Kurds," he also said.

Shortly after this speech, President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to Arınç without naming him and said,

"Even if we worked together in the past, no one's personal opinion can be associated with the President, our government or our party. We can never be together with Kavalas, nor can we forget Kobanê."

These statements earned the former Deputy Prime Minister fierce criticism from President Erdogan and his far-right ally Devlet Bahçeli. In the face of the outcry in the media, Mr. Arinç said he was hurt and resigned his post on the High Presidential Council.

Meanwhile, former Diyarbakir MP and AKP co-founder Ihsan Arslan was unanimously brought before the AKP’s leadership before the party’s disciplinary board. His crime: to have said in an interview with the Turkish section of the BBC that he thought "we are not very far from a parliamentary system".

In Erdogan’s Turkey, even veterans of his party lack freedom of opinion. They must follow the leader (Reis) without flinching and without expressing the slightest personal opinion.