AKP vote to acquit former ministers stirs parliament

Turkey's opposition issues a final call to AKP deputies, imploring them not to absolve four ex-ministers on corruption claims Leaders of all opposition parties in Turkey's parliament have exhorted ruling party colleagues to vote in favor of sending four ex-ministers to the Supreme Council so that they can answer charges of corruption.

Hours before the secret vote at a General Assembly session of parliament on Jan. 20, leaders of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) delivered speeches at regular weekly meetings of their parties' parliamentary groups.

The meetings offered the opposition leaders not only the chance to deliver messages to their grassroots, but also to ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies whose decision was set to be decisive on whether to send former ministers Egemen Ba???, Zafer Ça?layan, Erdo?an Bayraktar and Muammer Güler to the Supreme Council in order to be tried on charges of bribery and corruption.

"This parliament is the parliament which conducted the National War of Independence. This parliament cannot accept dirt. Let's not be contaminated with dirt here. We all have a conscientious and moral responsibility. We have the responsibility in the face of our children, our country and our homeland. We are the ones who will render the state prestigious - it is the votes that we will cast," CHP leader Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu said.

"I'm calling on all AKP deputies except nine persons at the commission," K?l?çdaro?lu said, referring to AKP members of a corruption inquiry panel which had previously concluded that there was no reason to send the former ministers to the Supreme Council because "there is...