Turkish parliament sets up ethics commission

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The ethics commission is expected to raise awareness on the escalating verbal and physical skirmishes which have broken out in recent months during debates. AA photo

Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek announced yesterday that he was establishing a “political ethics commission” and asked the parties represented in Parliament to assign one member each to the body by the end of the month.

The commission is being created to help contribute to a more “open and honest understanding of governance, and to establish the principles of political ethics,” Çiçek’s written announcement read.

“There is a great responsibility for everyone when it comes to democracy, starting with deputies. We must all avoid negative behavior and statements that do not suit our responsibilities as deputies. It is clear that a political ethics commission is necessary. We must all act more responsibly,” Çiçek had said in his April 23 speech in Parliament. Both verbal and physical skirmishes in Parliament have escalated in recent months during debates on controversial subjects, raising questions as to whether the parties will manage to compromise with one another on a new constitution.