MESOP : SHAME & SCANDAL IN THE FAMILY – Ankara mayor Gökçek says Arınç is a member of ‘parallel state,’ calls for his dismissal from gov’t

March 23, 2015, Monday/ 14:11:03/ TODAYSZAMAN.COM / ISTANBUL – Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek has alleged that Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, who recently made remarks opposing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s opinions on the course of the country’s settlement process, is the “parallel state’s” inside man that will hit the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) from within, and called on the government to dismiss Arınç if he resists resigning.

In his remarks posted on Twitter on Monday, Gökçek, known for his controversial tweets, said he pondered whether to write the statement or not, but claimed there are people in the AK Party who want to start a riot within the party. “I always wondered from where they would hit us. I should confess that I didn’t expect one like this. They wanted to target us from inside. And they gave this hit with Bülent Arınç. Everyone thought that he made the statement on behalf of the government. More precisely, they wanted to create such a perception and they succeeded to do so. However, I know the Cabinet ministers are highly disturbed about this issue,” Gökçek said, adding that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is also saddened by Arınç’s remarks.

Gökçek is referring to Arınç’s remarks on Saturday and Sunday in which he said the government was determined to go ahead with the planned establishment of a “monitoring committee” within the settlement process with the country’s Kurds despite opposition from Erdoğan and added that Erdoğan’s remarks that appear to be critical of government actions only serve to undermine the government ahead of parliamentary elections on June 7.

The AK Party’s gaffe-prone Gökçek said Arınç’s daughter and his son-in-law are from the “parallel state” — a term invented by Erdoğan to refer to sympathizers of the faith-based Hizmet movement, also known as the Gülen movement, which he sees as responsible for a Dec. 17, 2013 graft probe — and Arınç could not resist the pressure from his son-in-law and daughter. “An old friend of mine who is still debating with his conscience whether to remain in the parallel state or not told me the issue was this: Mr. Bülent was the latest trump of the Fethullah [Gülen] hodja…There is no link between Arınç’s outburst and the government. They only waited for the time and topic. And Bülent Arınç thinks that he makes the statement in the right time. Arınç’s outburst came by the order of the parallel structure,” Gökçek said. He said Arınç cannot be a government speaker any longer and called on the deputy prime minister to resign from his posts of government speaker and deputy prime minister. “However, I think his resignation a weak possibility due to the order from the parallel state saying you should resist until the end. This decision falls to the government. Bülent Arınç should be dismissed,” Gökçek wrote. “We don’t want you Bülent Arınç,” he also stated.