12/10/2023 | 19:45:19 Thank you. First of all, I would like to thank Ms Petra BAYR for preparing this comprehensive report on this very important topic for Türkiye. In that regard I would like to say that that I appreciate the efforts put into this matter by the Assembly and by the organisation as well, because this issue is not only a struggle to guarantee justice for one individual, but it is also an attempt to improve the overall conditions of an unjust judicial system and the damaged rule of law. As you all... 11/10/2023 | 20:03:22 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) I would like to start by thanking Mr Pieter OMTZIGT for such an excellent report on this very important topic. As you all know we are in an era of democratic backsliding. In the past decade or so, we have witnessed a rise in the number of autocratic countries and have seen in our own democratic countries, a backslide in individual freedoms and liberal values. Technologic developments in communication, surveillance, AI and spyware allowed... 19/06/2023 | 17:37:06 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) As a Member of Turkish Parliament, I would like to thank every single member of the PACE election observation mission for their detailed work and recommendations. Their report correctly states that the elections enjoyed a very high turnout rate well above 85 percent of the electorate. This turnout is not only evidence to our Nation’s commitment to democracy but inspires us to continue our work despite the democratic decline our country is... 28/04/2022 | 17:00:32 Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, As you know, last Monday, a very problematic court decision was taken in my country, Turkey. This decision is directly related with the question of efficiency, impartiality and independence of the judiciary, that is listed among structural components of genuine democracy in the report which we discuss today. With this court decision, the defendants, who had been acquitted before, were sentenced to severe prison terms without any definitive and clear evidence... 25/01/2022 | 18:10:00 Thank you Mr Chairman. First of all I would like to thank Madam Rapporteur for this timely and very important report. We discussed many times in the Parliamentary Assembly how important media is for democratic functioning. However, the COVID-19 conditions we are going through, the climate crisis, and the conflicts in international politics, shows us that the media is much more important under such crisis conditions. This importance stems from the fact that the nature of the crisis depends on... 30/09/2021 | 12:58:32 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) We are dealing with a very important issue both for our countries and for the Council of Europe values. As Europeans, we have to reassess a general attitude. It has become a crucial problem to evaluate international issues only from the perspective of immigration. Immigration is one aspect of the issue but not the whole. As Europeans, we must act by putting aside the fear of immigration and put in place stabilization measures in the region... 28/09/2021 | 13:04:57 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Dear colleagues, First of all, I would like to thank Mme. Selin Sayek Böke for this important and timely report. Inequalities have always been among the most important problems of our societies. But we know that the global financial crisis and Covid-19 pandemic have deepened existing inequalities. Today, there is no society in the world that is not affected by problems such as income inequality, wealth inequality, inequality of opportunity... 22/06/2021 | 10:06:03 Mister President, First of all I would like to thank Mr Roberto RAMPI for this important report. The concept of people's right to know, will be one of the crucial aspects of discussions on democracy in the forthcoming periods. As elaborated in the report, the right to know is directly related with the democratic participation of citizens and an accountable government is not possible in the absence of this right. So this concept will occupy a greater place in the discussions on democracy in... 22/04/2021 | 13:06:54 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) "In this assembly like many in the world, parliamentarians generally start their speeches stating how delighted they are to talk about the report under consideration. But as a member of this assembly, I witnessed many reports about my country and I could never feel delighted about the situation. It wasn't what's written in the report that made me sad. what made me sad has been the situation in my country. We have had extensive problems in the... 28/01/2021 | 12:09:02 Thank you chair. Dear colleagues, First of all, I would like to thank Mr Boriss CILEVIČS for this important report. As politicians, we focus on issues that we consider big issues or so-called "high politics". However, we ignore issues of everyday life that are thought to be small, but those issues cause huge an unjust sufferings. One may suggest that, "What happens if a person is stopped? Dozens of people are stopped every day". However, when you read the report, you clearly see that the...