Arınç signs 'Kimse Yok Mu' verdict without reading it

After the recent Cabinet ruling against nonprofit aid organization Kimse Yok Mu, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç claimed that he signed the verdict without reading it. Arınç's apparently false statement on Kimse Yok Mu he made two weeks ago has drawn the ire of the politicians.

On Sept. 30, Bülent Arınç, who is also the government spokesperson, told the media there must be legal grounds to remove the legitimate nonprofit status of Kimse Yok Mu, ruling out the possibility of arbitrary action against the organization. When asked by reporters if Cabinet has taken any action against the organizations so far, Arınç said he had not seen any documents signed by ministers against the organization.

Several former government officials held consensus that Arınç's behavior was not appropriate.

Former Minister of Culture Fikri Sağlar said that during his term, he did not witness any cases where cabinet members signed a verdict without reading it. "Turkey is going through an extremely unfortunate term. Ministers sign decisions without reading or understanding them. Lawmakers are throwing their hands up and saying they didn't know the details. Citizens will call this government to account 10 years later. Turkey is governed by a single person and his oligarchic staff," he said.

'If he had not signed, he would have been forced to resign "

Former Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Şener suggests the verdict against Kimse Yok Mu was a shakedown in the Cabinet.

"There is no possibility that Arınç didn't look at what he was signing. If he did not sign, he would have been forced to resign, which he cannot accept. Whether you like it or not, people will feel obligated to sign things in order to prevent any possible dispute with the prime minister," said Şener.

Published on BGNNews, 07 October 2014, Tuesday

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