Retweeting may cause expulsion from ruling party

Nergis Demirkaya/ DUVAR ANKARA

Ayhan Sefer Üstün, one of the dissidents within of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has received the notification that he has been referred to the party's Central Disciplinary Board demanding his expulsion.

The former head of the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission, Üstün said he was being expelled because he had pointed out to the "parallel structures" within the party. He said he believed the most important reason for his expulsion was that parallel structures had been formed outside the party which were deciding on policies and strategies. "In AK Party, strategic decisions are now made by parallel gangs," he claimed.

Speaking to GazeteDuvar, Üstün said several other party members had pointed out to this danger, but they were not referred to the Disciplinary Board. This was the correct attitude, he said, adding, "These expressions are not against our party statute. What is wrong is the severe action taken against us. There expressions do not vilolate the party code."

Another reason for his expulsion was his criticism of the current state of the Presidential Government System. "While we were trying to eliminate a freakish parliamentary system, we are caught in another freakish system where separation of powers do not exist, where the parliament has been extremely diminished. This system is not the presidential system. This evaluation was considered as the cause for my expulsion. If I am not to talk about politics and law, what subject am I going to talk about?"

Both Ak Party and the government has seen the deadlock in the system, Üstün claimed, "That is why Deputy President Fuat Oktay set up a commission. This commission is tasked with determining the discrepancies and offer suggestions. If I am doing the same search, which clause of the party statute this has violated?"

One of the most interesting reasons for expulsion, according to Üstün, was former PM Ahmet Davutoğlu's speech on May 21, 2019, at an Ankara venue. Davutoğlu had said, "Those who lose hope do not have a tomorrow. Do not be afraid to talk." Üstün said he shared his "do not be afraid to talk" expression in Twitter. "Why should anyone be afraid of this sentence? Is the Central Disciplinary Board of AK party afraid of people talking? A politician's most important means is talking. How are we going to solve the country's problems without talking? Turkey is run by a democratic regime; it is an open society. Has the regime changed and we are not aware of it? Does the Central Disciplinary Board of Ak Party imagine a totalitarian regime?"

Üstün's interview with Gazete Duvar was also a reason for his expulsion. "Because I am pointing out to the vote flow from the Ak Party to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). In the notice I received, my words in the interview with Gazete Duvar where I said MHP has put a hose at the AK Party grassroots and siphoning out our votes."