21/04/2026 | 12:36:35 Mr Secretary General, My question to you is about the targeting of members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Mr Hasan AKGÜN, the Mayor of Büyükçekmece, was serving right here, in this very chamber. He has been detained for 11 months, and there is still no indictment against him. Tunç SOYER was the President of the Congress of Regions. He has been detained for 10 months. There is an indictment against him, but he was released in that case. However, as... 21/04/2026 | 11:01:37 Mr Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, It is absolutely necessary to ban hate speech in politics. Because when hate speech is used, it imposes a hierarchy. It forces the target to defend himself or herself or others, instead of expressing his or her own ideas. Even if that person is very good at fending off hate speech, they are prevented from doing their job. So even if hate speech does not directly incite racism or violence, by the way it makes the target feel and by imposing an unjust... 28/01/2026 | 19:12:18 Thank you, Mister Chair. Dear colleagues, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, dear Ms Luz MARTINEZ SEIJO. Like her previous report on history education, this is a significant piece of work that develops new proposals to support the role of education in creating a democratic society. I hope that it is not only adopted here, but also taken into account when developing new policies and that it paves the way for new projects in member states. Dear colleagues, Since we have an agenda... 28/01/2026 | 11:02:07 Thank you, Mister Chairman. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the rapporteur for this excellent report. I would like to take this opportunity to mention a good example of young people's involvement in politics. At the last congress of the Youth Organisation of the Republican People's Party (CHP), there were people in 'red waistcoats', including myself. Who were these 'red waistcoats'? On one side of their waistcoat was written their current position. And on the other, the position... 27/01/2026 | 16:38:13 Dear colleagues, Guaranteeing fair elections in times of crisis demonstrates the extent to which we are committed to democracy at such times. There may be an earthquake, attempts to manipulate elections, terrorism or armed conflict. It is precisely in the face of these exceptional crises that our commitment to the rule of law is put to the test. Dear colleagues, will we see crises as an excuse to abandon free elections, or will we create a system that is resilient in the face of such crises... 02/10/2025 | 20:42:37 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) First of all I would like to thank Mr Stefan SCHENNACH for his extraordinary efforts for this organization. Dear colleagues, The clear recognition of the right to housing as a human right is a significant achievement for human dignity. Therefore, I congratulate the rapporteur on her important work. Housing should not be treated as an investment tool, but as a means for everyone to live with dignity. Vacant apartments, houses bought solely for... 02/10/2025 | 20:19:57 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Dear colleagues, First of all, I would like to thank the rapporteur for her work on this important issue. This is a topic that is also highly relevant for my country today. Political parties enable citizens to organize around their views and values. In real democracies, political parties compete, present their ideas, and the people choose which one they prefer, and governments can be changed through elections. When there is genuine... 02/10/2025 | 12:45:03 Dear colleagues, Last night, Israel intervened in the Sumud Flotilla in international waters. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Palestine, many of them women and children. There's no access to clean water, no food, no medical care, no schools, no hospitals, no energy. And the journalists who could have shown the world what is really happening, they have been targeted too. Dear colleagues, this is not a natural disaster. The humanitarian crisis did not happen by itself, so there... 30/09/2025 | 11:32:25 Thank you, Mr Chair. Dear collegues, In this organisation that was founded to protect human rights and democracy, it is disappointing to see that in every session, Türkiye is remembered not by its progress but by violations. However, I believe and I am sure that my country will be remembered by how its people fought for democracy and how they rebuilt it. I will not repeat what happened, how it still happens, and I know that you all know that it did not happen in a day. I see the exact same... 30/09/2025 | 10:34:41 Thank you. Mister Secretary General, In Türkiye, dozens of mayors, politicians, bureaucrats and activists have been jailed. In the lawsuits filed against the Republican People’s Party (CHP), there are demands for the appointment of a trustee to the party. A trustee was appointed to the Istanbul administration of the Republican People’s Party. Although these lawsuits have become irrelevant due to the congresses held by the party, the judiciary continues to be used as a political tool. These...