PM Erdoğan says opposition's candidates represent junta

19 April 2011, Tuesday / KAZIM CANLAN, ANKARA

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has lashed out at three political parties -- the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) -- for nominating several suspects who are standing trial on charges of terrorism as deputy candidates in the June 12 parliamentary elections, saying the candidates represent the pro-coup junta and not the nation itself.

“Are you representing the will of the nation or the will of Silivri [Prison]? Do you derive your legitimacy from the nation or from gangs, criminal organizations and the junta?” the prime minister asked when hitting back at the three political parties for their decision to nominate terror suspects as candidates for the post of deputy in the elections. Erdoğan's remarks came on Monday during a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) meeting to promote his party's candidates. The CHP included four suspects in the Ergenekon case -- former Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) President Sinan Aygün, former Başkent University Rector Mehmet Haberal, former chief prosecutor İlhan Cihaner and journalist Mustafa Balbay -- in its list of candidates for deputy. The MHP nominated retired Gen. Engin Alan, a suspect in the Sledgehammer coup case, as a candidate while the BDP nominated six suspects in the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) trial as candidates for deputy in the approaching parliamentary elections. Haberal, Balbay and Alan are currently in jail, while Aygün and Cihaner were released from prison in the past after a brief period of arrest pending trial.

The nominations of the suspects kicked off a debate as to whether they are hoping to win seats in Parliament to avoid trial. If elected, the suspects will likely evade trial for the next four years thanks to parliamentary immunity.

Referring to earlier remarks by CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Erdoğan said: “Some said they would like to become members of Ergenekon. We told them to go to Silivri [Prison] and become members of the [terrorist] organization. They wondered how to become members of Ergenekon and finally decided to become members of the group by nominating suspects in the case. They were unable to find deputy candidates from outside, so they transferred candidates from inside the prison.” Dozens of suspects in the case against Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network accused of working to topple the government, are under arrest in Silivri Prison in İstanbul. Among them are members of the military, businessmen and journalists.

The nomination of the suspects sparked a debate as to whether they will be eligible for parliamentary immunity. While some are saying they will be eligible, others say the courts hearing these cases may allow for the suspects’ release pending trial, but it is not a legal obligation. They say the suspects cannot enter Parliament without a court decision for their release.

According to Erdoğan, the AK Party’s candidates represent the entire Turkey. “Those we present to you today represent a big picture of Turkey. Among them are all the colors of Turkey. In this picture, there are 550 people who hold deep feelings for Turkey. Our [candidate] list is made up of people who favor peace and love,” he said. He also noted that the AK Party refused to nominate candidates who are accused of cooperating with gangs and criminal organizations.

Some other suspects in the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer cases will also run in the June elections, but as independent candidates. Among these are journalist Tuncay Özkan, former Police Chief Hanefi Avcı, Workers’ Party (İP) leader Doğu Perinçek, retired Gen. Çetin Doğan and retired Col. Atilla Uğur.

In addition, Erdoğan said the governing AK Party is set to launch its election campaign in the Black Sea province of Bayburt on April 22.

PM rules out ethnic nationalism

According to Erdoğan, the AK Party’s candidate list is not made up of people who promote “ethnic nationalism.” “The AK Party has embraced all of Turkey once again with its candidate list. People who claim that the AK Party will lose the race in some regions are mistaken. Those putting forward such claims do not know who our candidates are. They do not know the AK Party’s decisiveness in elections, either,” he stated.

The prime minister also said his party will stand against any plan or policy to promote nationalism based on one’s race. “We say ‘no’ to ethnic nationalism, regional nationalism and religious nationalism. Turkey suffered much due to nationalism in the past. This is why the AK Party introduced a project to strengthen national unity.”

According to Erdoğan, no element of the Turkish Republic should dare dream about the establishment of a second state within the boundaries of Turkey. “We will never think about a second state or a second flag in Turkey. We will never allow such separation. I have never defended the use of a single language in Turkey. But I have defended the use of a single official language. These are two different things,” he said, and stated that the AK Party allows all ethnic groups of Turkey to protect their identities. “We believe that all ethnic elements are worth showing respect to. Any ethnic group may call itself Turk, Kurd, Laz, Georgian, Roma, Albanian or Arab. We respect all of them. All of them are precious to us. We do not discriminate against any ethnic group. We will not allow Turkish nationalism or Kurdish nationalism. But everyone will be free to call themselves a Turk or a Kurd,” he added.

In addition, the prime minister pledged decisiveness in Turkey’s fight against gangs and clandestine groups, implicitly referring to the Ergenekon case. “We will not retreat from our fight against gangs. We will not bow to gangs, and will continue our fight until the very end. Gangs will no longer find a chance to develop,” he noted.

‘I am closely following cheating claims in YGS’

The prime minister also spoke about claims of cheating in the Transition to Higher Education Examination (YGS) in late March. He said he is “closely following the claims.” “I am a follower of all claims related to the YGS as the prime minister of this country. I advise our youth to feel relieved, and continue studying for the second examination. I also advise them to closely know who is abusing their sensitivities and seeking to turn their dismay into an advantage for themselves,” Erdoğan stated.

Claims emerged in early April that coded question booklets were distributed to some test takers in the YGS. According to claims, the answers in those booklets were coded to reveal the correct answer if read in a certain way. The Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) acknowledged that there indeed was such a booklet, but said the only copy that included the coded answers was the one given out to the press after the examination.

According to the prime minister, the opposition parties are engaged in efforts to derive political gain over YGS claims. “The CHP, the MHP and the BDP are working to abuse our youth over claims about the YGS. They have turned the dreams, hopes and futures of 1.7 million young people into political elements and are working to derive political gain from them. What we are talking about are the dreams of 1.7 million young people. It is immoral to turn the feelings of young people who spend their days and nights studying for many years into a source for political gain. If anything illegal took place during the test, I would be the first person to react,” he said.

An investigation by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is under way to look into claims of cheating. High school students have been participating in demonstrations held across the country to denounce cheating claims since the YGS. Members of the CHP and the MHP joined the demonstrations in İstanbul over the weekend.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-241436-pm-erdogan-says-oppositions-candidates-represent-junta.html.