One more deputy from Turkey’s ruling AKP announces resignation

ANKARA

CİHAN photo

The Justice and Development Party’s Burdur Deputy Hasan Hami Yıldırım announced his resignation today, becoming the fifth lawmaker to part ways with the ruling party amid an ongoing major corruption operation.Yıldırım criticized the removal of the head prosecutor in a second corruption case reported to be wider than the probe that began Dec. 17. Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş announced Dec. 26 that investigation files had been taken “from his hands,” slamming the pressure on the judiciary.“The pressure on prosecutor Muammer Akkaş is unacceptable. This pressure cannot be considered as legitimate in a rule of law,” Yıldırım said via Twitter.Former Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay, İzmir MP Erdal Kalkan and Ankara MP Haluk Özdalga announced their resignations from the party on Dec. 27 after the AKP’s Central Executive Board (MYK) decided in a meeting late Dec. 26 to send them to the disciplinary body due to their “verbal and written remarks stigmatizing [the] party and the government.”Former Turkish interior minister İdris Naim Şahin also announced his resignation on Dec. 25.Kütahya Deputy İdris Bal and Istanbul Deputy Hakan Şükür also resigned after criticizing the AKP on the decision to close the test prep schools.