Turkish Parliament speaker elections kick off, as ruling party’s Çelik says he is out

ANKARA

Speaker Cemil Çiçek is close to keeping his seat. DHA photo

Hüseyin Çelik, a deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has denied accounts that he is to run for the office of parliament speaker to replace Cemil Çiçek, whose current office period expires on July 4.

“Lately, in the news written on the office of parliament speaker office and in the comments, I have been shown as among the candidates. I am not running for the post of Parliament Speaker. I had made no such attempt either,” Çelik told Anatolia news agency yesterday regarding his potential candidacy for the “number two” post according to Turkey’s protocol.

The process to elect the parliament speaker, the number two post in the protocol, commenced as of June 24, and the deadline for candidate nominations will last until midnight of June 28.

The candidates are expected to be submitted to the Parliament’s general secretary office, upon which the elections will take place on July 2, during the parliament’s general assembly. A simple majority suffices for any candidate to hold the office, where the four parties represented in the parliament are expected to nominate their candidates.

Even though there has been no confirmation from the AKP or Çiçek himself, the incumbent speaker is expected to continue his duty for another term. Çiçek’s likelihood to remain in the office is seen as a result of his involvement in the Constitution-making process.

The Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) Faruk Bal became the first official candidate running for the office of parliament speaker to replace Cemil Çiçek, whose current office period will terminate on July 4.