In 2018, with the transition to the presidential system, the role of the Parliament began to diminish significantly. This system, designed to shield the executive branch from parliamentary oversight, has weakened the connection between Members of Parliament (MPs) and the executive branch, limiting their scope of activity within the Parliament. According to reports from Evrensel Newspaper, in the past seven months, 58 deputies, out of 600 in Parliament, have not spoken in either the General Assembly or any parliamentary committee.6 In other words, nearly 10 percent of the MPs elected seven months ago have not actively participated in discussions or debates, apart from taking the initial oath. As expected, most of these 46 silent MPs belong to the AK Party.What makes this silence particularly noteworthy is that it includes former ministers such as Süleyman Soylu, Murat Kurum, and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who were elected as MPs from major metropolitan areas, either to prevent President Erdoğan from securing a victory in those regions or to 'relegate' them to the Parliament.In democratic systems, one of the primary responsibilities of Members of Parliament (MPs) is to represent the concerns and issues of their constituents. They are expected to engage in debates, pose questions, and oversee the activities of the executive branch. However, in Turkey, MPs often appear more focused on their relationship with the party leader and less responsive to the needs and concerns of the voters who elected them. While the shift to a presidential system has played a significant role in silencing MPs and diminishing the role of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in recent years, it is essential to acknowledge that a fundamental issue lies in the Law on Political Parties, which has transformed MPs from "elected" representatives into essentially "appointed" ones. When we examine the list of ruling and opposition MPs who have refrained from participating in debates in the General Assembly or committees, we can observe that they were typically elected as representatives from various "quota" categories designated by party leaders, such as based on kinship, tribal affiliations, or political alliances. Often, these MPs hail from major cities. Among these individuals, we find names like Bülent Arınç's son, Ahmet Mücahit Arınç, Sadullah Ergin, who was elected from CHP lists, AKP MP Galip Ensarioğlu, and IYI Party MP Salim Ensarioğlu. MPs occupying seats they may not be effectively serving due to political agreements among elites, rather than being elected by their constituents, are a product of the current institutional framework. To address this issue and revitalize Turkish democracy, it is imperative to amend relevant legislation, particularly the Law on Political Parties.It's crucial to emphasize that the institutional change we propose for this purpose does not imply the adoption of the narrow district majority system that the AKP publicly discussed a few years ago. While the narrow district majority system may enhance the connection between voters and MPs, it should be recognized that it could potentially undermine the principle of fairness (proportionality) in representation both nationally and locally.What is needed is the introduction of primary elections as a "binding mechanism" within our political party system to curtail the leader's dominance within parties. Otherwise, we will continue to be 'represented' by individuals who merely raise and lower their hands and pursue careers within the corridors of Ankara rather than effectively representing the concerns and demands of the citizens!"

The Freedom Observer

What is needed is the introduction of primary elections as a "binding mechanism" within our political party system to curtail the leader's dominance within parties. Otherwise, we will continue to be 'represented' by individuals who merely raise and lower their hands and pursue careers within the corridors of Ankara rather than effectively representing the concerns and demands of the citizens!"

Parliament ile ilgili hikayeler