Parliamentarians will be fined for misconduct following new bylaws


An amendment to the parliamentary bylaws regarding fining deputies who have a reprimand or temporary ban from Parliament will come into force on Oct. 1 with the opening of Parliament.

The bylaw, which was accepted jointly in July by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), will be put into practice on Oct. 1.

Pursuant to the new bylaw, deputies who are punished with a reprimand or temporary ban will also be fined. A deputy who is punished with reprimand will pay a TL 5,751 ($1,647) fine. If a deputy receives a temporary ban as a punishment from Parliament, which will be applied for three sessions, he or she will pay a TL 11,502 fine. A deputy earns approximately TL 17,000 a month. However, the method of payment has yet to be determined.

It is stated under the bylaws that deputies punished with a reprimand will be deprived of one-third of their monthly allowance, and deputies punished with a temporary ban will be deprived of two-thirds of their monthly allowance.

A deputy can be fined with a reprimand if they: Insist on defaming despite being warned twice in a session, having been punished with a warning thrice in a month, uttering degrading words and acting in a way that degrades others, entering Parliament and its linked buildings with a gun, making a fuss or inciting a movement that prevents Parliament from carrying out its duties and bringing in items such as mottos and banners and the like, which can hinder Parliament's process.

The temporary ban punishment will be applied to deputies in the event of them having been punished with reprimand twice in a session, having been punished with a reprimand five times in a month, delivering speeches that target Turkey's integrity and the Turkish nation and insulting the president, Parliament, Parliament's speaker, the bureau of the assembly, group deputy chairmen and the constitutional order. If a deputy brings a gun to Parliament or commits assault, he or she will also be punished with a temporary ban.