Turkish opposition seeks to annul education draft

Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said the controversial education bill might be put for debate in the General Assembly as soon as next week, as the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) asked the Speaker of Parliament to nullify the draft’s controversial approval at the Education Commission, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Senior members of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) met with Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçekafter March 11’s brawl and also insisted the commission vote was “null and void.” MHP group deputy chair Oktay Vural said the commission had to start the debate from the beginning, warning of even worse tensions in Parliament.

AKP deputy chair Mahir Ünal, however, insisted the bill’s approval in the commission was lawful. “The bill will be probably debated in the General Assembly next week,” he said. 

However, the AKP’s Mustafa Elitaş said later the AKP might postpone the General Assembly by another week because the Parliament Speaker was evaluating the situation.