The General Assembly of Parliament will convene on Wednesday after a one-day break for Republic Day. A busy schedule awaits lawmakers who will discuss the next budget of the Turkish state and Ninth Legal Package, an omnibus bill that mainly covers judicial regulations. Elsewhere, leaders of parties will make their weekly parliamentary group speeches.
All eyes certainly will be on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he is scheduled to address his fellow Justice and Development Party (AK Party) members for a critical speech. Media outlets reported on Monday that Erdoğan will focus on the “terror-free initiative” of the People’s Alliance led by the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). A report by the Hürriyet newspaper says Erdoğan will “chart a new course” on the matter during his speech on Wednesday.
MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli made the headlines last week when he called upon the government to pave the way for the conditional release of Abdullah Öcalan, jailed leader of the terrorist group PKK. Bahçeli told a parliamentary meeting that Öcalan should be allowed to speak at Parliament to call his group to lay down arms in a bid to end the decadeslong campaign of violence by the PKK. Though the call was nothing extraordinary, the name behind it surprised many as Bahçeli is known for his hardline stance on the PKK and his past calls for the execution of Öcalan. His call received support from Erdoğan, who described it as a historic window of opportunity. Erdoğan, however, did not delve much into the matter, while Bahçeli reiterated that his position on eradicating terrorism did not change, especially after a PKK attack in Ankara two days after his remarks.
The president himself was the architect of what is informally called the “reconciliation process” to end the PKK. The process failed due to the terrorist group’s resumption of its campaign, which sought to find common ground with groups close to the group to force the PKK to surrender. Although governments under Erdoğan improved the rights of the Kurdish community (something the PKK claimed to fight for), the process apparently collapsed and has not been on the agenda of the government for a long time.
Parliament will discuss a proposal for legal amendments covering judiciary issues. The omnibus bill known as the “Ninth Legal Package” includes changes in admissions of prospective judges and prosecutors to the profession as well as sales of impounded vehicles not recovered by their owners in a predefined period. The bill also seeks to regulate the profession of arbitrator, which helps courts that are burdened with heavy workloads. Arbitrators will be required to be law school graduates under new amendments.
The package also offers changing sentencing for the crime of insult via broadcast, written and social media. The crime will be excluded from the list of offenses that can be settled out of court by arbitrators. Instead, offenders will benefit from a clause where charges against them can be dropped if they pay a fine.
Parliament’s other important discussion will be on the 2025 budget. It will both discuss its own budget and those of other state institutions.
According to the 2025 budget submitted to Parliament, Türkiye has allocated TL 584 billion ($17.03 billion) for earthquake-related spending or some 0.9% of the gross domestic product (GDP). The government and economists previously estimated the total cost of earthquake relief and rebuilding of the impacted southern provinces to be more than $100 billion.
The debate on the budget proposal at Parliament started last Tuesday and is estimated to last about two months.
Excluding earthquake-related expenditures, the budget deficit is projected to be 2.2% of GDP, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said last week. The budget envisages spending of TL 14.73 trillion and revenues of TL 12.8 trillion for 2025. That would translate into a budget deficit equivalent to 3.1% of the GDP. The government has allocated TL 1.57 trillion for investments, amounting to 10.7% of the planned expenditure. Key highlights from the proposal include substantial allocations to education, defense, health care and infrastructure. About TL 2.18 trillion is earmarked for the education sector, including higher education. Reflecting heightened regional tensions and a continued emphasis on national security, the government plans to allocate TL 1.61 trillion to defense and security spending in 2025. About TL 2.44 trillion is designated for health care, alongside TL 651 billion for social assistance and support programs.
Additionally, the budget includes TL 1.93 trillion for broader social expenditures, which incorporate subsidies for natural gas, electricity and measures such as the exemption of minimum wage from taxation. About TL 706 billion is planned to be allocated to the agricultural sector, supporting farmers and rural development initiatives. The budget will also set aside TL 561 billion for real sector support.
