The plenary of Parliament will resume on Tuesday, after a three-week hiatus amid the Feb. 6 earthquakes in southern Türkiye, the deadliest in recent history. Parliament remained open after the disaster, but the number of lawmakers necessary for plenary has not met as almost all deputies are visiting disaster zones, helping recovery efforts, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
The earthquakes will be the main agenda of Parliament. Five political parties, consisting of the majority in Parliament, are expected to jointly agree on the establishment of an Earthquake Investigation Committee. The committee will look into all angles of the disaster, from those responsible for the collapse of buildings to preventive measures against damage from future earthquakes.
Parliament is also expected to pass a bill for a landmark retirement regulation affecting millions. Last year, Türkiye removed the retirement age requirement for those who started working before September 1999, when the law regulating retirement requirements changed, to the benefit of a large number of people who were expected to receive their first pensions in March. But the disaster disrupted parliamentary work, and thus, postponed the implementation of the bill. Under current circumstances, payments are expected to be delayed by at least one month, to April.