Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş Says CHP Leader Can Speak at Group Meeting

Turkey's parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmuş stated that the legal framework permits the Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu – or any party head – to address the party’s group meeting in the Grand National Assembly, noting that “there is no provision that can prevent it.” He cited past precedents, such as former SHP leader Murat Karayalçın and former group chair Aydın Güven Gürkan, to illustrate the consistency of the rule. Kurtulmuş emphasized his neutrality, saying the speaker’s office “is not a party’s internal affairs” and must act only within the parliamentary standing orders and party group regulations.

Speaking after official visits to Finland and Sweden, Kurtulmuş also commented on broader issues. In Sweden he met with representatives of the Turkish diaspora, warning that core European values were being eroded and highlighting Turkey’s growing diplomatic and strategic role, especially within NATO. He described Turkey as an emerging “unstoppable” power and praised cultural diplomacy institutions such as TİKA and the Yunus Emre Institute.