Turkish opposition lawmaker investigated for criticizing Qatar military deal
A Turkish opposition politician who is being investigated for criticizing a military deal with Qatar has defended his remarks.
MP Ali Mahir Basarir, from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said the Turkish army had been sold to the Qataris under a series of deals that were signed between the two governments on Nov. 26. “We have reached a point where the state’s army is sold to Qatar in a first for the country’s history,” he said during a TV interview. He criticized a contract that was signed last year with military vehicle producer BMC, a TurkishQatari joint venture, for the mass manufacture of the Altay tank, Turkey’s first new generation main battle tank.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Nov. 29 launched a probe into the opposition politician for “humiliating the Turkish government and the army.”
But Basarir denied his remarks were critical of the army. “I stand behind my words,” he tweeted on Sunday. “Selling a military factory of our army to another country is treachery. It is betrayal.”
There have been strongly worded statements from government officials, and even accusations of him of being “a lover” of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“This deputy is not worthy of representing our sacred nation,” Mahir Unal, deputy leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), tweeted. “He should quickly apologize.”
AKP spokesman Omer Celik blamed Basarir for “using poisonous language devoid of morals about the heroic Turkish army.”
The Turkish Defense Ministry is expected to file a complaint about the MP for “insulting the army and Turkish soldiers,” while Turkey’s media watchdog will investigate the broadcast.
Turkey’s top tank factory was transferred to a Turkish- Qatari private venture in 2019 to produce armored vehicles.
The Turkish partner of BMC, Ethem Sancak, is known to be a close confidant of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
I stand behind my words. Selling a military factory of our army to another country is treachery. It is betrayal.
Ali Mahir Basarir Turkish politician