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President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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Showing posts with label
President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stepped down as Turkey’s prime minister and was installed as the country's 12th president on Aug. 28, after a parliamentary ceremony boycotted by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Outgoing President Abdullah Gül said a warm farewell to the Çankaya Mansion in the takeover ceremony.
Senior representatives of some 90 countries from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe attended the takeover, including the emir of Qatar and Iran’s foreign minister, according to Erdoğan’s office. No major Western heads of state attended the ceremony. The United States denied reports that it sending a low-profile delegation to convey an ulterior message to Ankara.
Here are the live updates as they happened throughout the day:
18:45 - Erdoğan is scheduled to appoint Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, his designated successor, to form a new government during a meeting scheduled for 10 p.m.Davutoğlu took over from Erdoğan as the chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Aug. 27. A new Cabinet is set to be announced on Aug. 29. (Click here to read more about acting PM Davutoğlu's statement)
18:14 - The takeover ceremony ends. Turkey's 12th President Erdoğan and his wife, Emine Erdoğan, are saying farewell to the 11th President Gül and his wife, Hayrünnisa Gül, with a military ceremony. “Goodbye, soldier,” Gül said for the last time in the Çankaya Mansion. The Gül couple, who will head directly to the airport, will live in Istanbul.
17:56 - Erdoğan presents a State Medal of Distinguished Service to Gül.
17:54 - Erdoğan concludes his speech by promising to "keep walking on the same path" as Gül said.
17:48 - Erdoğan says Turkey's EU process will continue. “The main axis of our foreign policy is peace, solidarity and welfare. Turkey doesn't have an eye on any country's territories or their internal issues. We don't have any plans or project like that," he added.
17:47 - “The era of the Old Turkey is over. We are now in the era of a New Turkey, the Great Turkey that carries the substance and spirit of the Republic,” Erdoğan said.
17:39 - President Erdoğan starts his speech by addressing Gül as “the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, my valuable brother,” before welcoming guests. Stressing that “he is the first president directly elected by popular vote in Turkey’s 2,000-year-old history,” Erdoğan vowed to protect what the nation entrusted in him.
17:31 - Gül starts his speech by addressing Erdoğan as “Mr. President” and "my valuable brother, friend." After thanking the foreign guests, Gül stressed that he worked in harmony with civil society and the judiciary throughout his tenure. He also thanked his family and his wife, Hayrünnisa Gül.
17:26 - Erdoğan and Gül enter the hall. Both figures are expected to speak soon.
17:00 - The outgoing President Abdullah Gül welcomes the incoming President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the entrance of the Çankaya Mansion with the ceremonial cavalry regiment.
16:39 - Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has arrived in the Çankaya Mansion. Almost all foreign dignitaries are already in the hall. Erdoğan, on the other hand, didn't leave his residence yet.
16:15 - Erdoğan is expected to arrive in the presidential residence, the Çankaya Mansion, in minutes. An avenue separates the Çankaya Mansion from the Prime Minister's official residence in Ankara. The two buildings are a few hundred meters apart:
15:27 - Erdoğan reads out what he wrote in the journal at Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic: "Beloved Atatürk; I take over as the Republic's 12th President and the first directly elected president. After your death, the bond between the office of the presidency and the people was weakened. I believe that the tenure I start today is a means for the people to embrace their president and for the state to embrace its nation. You started the Independence War and strived to raise Turkey to the level of modern civilization. Turkey has met with its substance and spirit again today. National sovereignty has been strengthened more than ever. On this day, I promise that I will work more than ever for our beloved nation, as I start my tenure. May God bless your soul."
14:34 - Ceremonial artillery fires a 101-gun salute as Erdoğan leaves Parliament to lay a wreath at Atatürk’s mausoleum before the takeover ceremony at the presidential mansion.
14:24 - Erdoğan is scheduled to be at the Çankaya Mansion for the takeover ceremony at 16:30. Outgoing President Abdullah Gül will leave the mansion today, before departing Ankara for Istanbul. (Click here to read more about Gül's departure)
14:14 - Speaker Çiçek announces a parliamentary recess until Oct. 1.
14:11 - Erdoğan has completed the oath, officially becoming Turkey's 12th president. The Turkish National Anthem is then played at Parliament's General Assembly.
14:10 - Erdoğan takes the oath (The full text is below).
14:08 - Erdoğan enters the General Assembly. Speaker Çiçek presents him the presidential mandate.
14:06 - CHP deputy Engin Altay hurls a parliamentary rulings booklet at Speaker Çiçek, which hits the floor behind him. "Parliament Speaker had already been trampling on the rulings and the Constitution. I've just visualized what he had been doing," Altay later told reporters.
14:04 - "I will conduct this ceremony," Çiçek declares, prompting opposition deputies to walk out of the General Assembly. "I will conduct this ceremony whether you join or not."
14:03 - Deputies of the main opposition CHP file an objection to Parliament Speaker Çiçek, claiming that there is a mispleading in Erdoğan's refusal to resign as prime minister before taking the presidential oath. (Click here to read the story on CHP's objections regarding the official declaration)
14:02 - Yusuf Yerkel, the Erdoğan aide who created an uproar when he kicked a mourner in the mining-disaster struck town of Soma in May, is among the guests in Parliament. (Click here to read more about the kicking incident)
14:01 - Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek announces a 2-minute roll call. Most members of Parliament are already present.
13:59 - The oath that Erdoğan is taking, as written in Turkey’s Constitution, reads as follows: “In my capacity as president I swear upon my honor and integrity before the Turkish Grand National Assembly and before history to safeguard the existence and independence of the State, the indivisible integrity of the country and the Nation and the absolute sovereignty of the Nation, to abide by the Constitution, the rule of law, democracy, the principles of the secular Republic, not to deviate from the ideal according to which everyone is entitled to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms under conditions of national peace and prosperity and in the spirit of national solidarity and justice, and do my utmost to preserve and exalt the glory and honor of the Republic of Turkey and perform without bias the functions that I have assumed.”
13:51 - Two foreign dignitaries had to cancel their plans to witness the ceremony due to last minute domestic crises: Ukrainian President Poroshenko and Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif. (Click here to read more)
13:45 - Erdoğan's motorcade leaves his Ankara residence on his way to Parliament.
13:37 - Erdoğan is expected to walk through in Parliament on this red carpet before taking his presidential oath.
13:13 - The Erdoğan family will watch the inauguration on these seats reserved for them in the Turkish Parliament.
The ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) extraordinary congress to elect a new chairman to replace the outgoing Prime Minister and President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has taken place amid much fanfare.
“This is the first time that the AK Parti has organized an extraordinary congress. This is a take-over ceremony, not a race, and what is being taken over is the party chair, not the party leadership. There is no race and no competition. The AK Parti is more proud about having a single candidate than having a democratic race in the congress,”
Here are Yetkin’s impressions from the congress hall:
- Ahmet Davutoğlu entered the hall with his wife Sare. The audience and the delegates in the hall cheered, but the real enthusiasm was probably reserved for President-elect Erdoğan. The organizers geared up the crowd by turning the volume of the music up. It was the live footage of Erdoğan from outside the hall that really enthused the crowd inside - not the announcement of the presenter who said, “We want to see your enthusiasm.”
- There is only one banner carrying a photo in Ankara Arena (above). The banner reads, “Your Way Is Our Way,” and it shows a picture of Davutoğlu right next to Erdoğan. The AK Parti is not looking for a new leader, but for an administrator who can manage the party and the government in the way that Erdoğan shows.
- When Erdoğan starts to speak at the front of the hall, all those inside also liven up. It’s easy to see why Erdoğan doesn’t want to be out of the party agenda: The crowd can only liven up with him. That’s why Erdoğan’s “This is not a farewell” remarks are the ones that drew the loudest applause. It seems that Davutoğlu has a really tough job on his hands.
- Süleyman Soylu, the former head of the Democrat Party (DP), which was a political rival of the AK Parti during its foundation and early period of governance, delivered the opening speech of the convention. Soylu joined the AK Parti in 2012, one year after it netted just under 50 percent of the votes in the parliamentary election, and even his positioning indicates that “the cause of the AK Parti” has turned into “the cause of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.” Some politicians who have “dedicated a life” to the cause are now watching the convention silently.
- With the air-conditioning at the Ankara Arena, filled with thousands of participants, failing to defeat the August sun, Emine Erdoğan used her fan to try to cool down herself and the elected-president Erdoğan. Journalists in the “press tribune” of the venue, meanwhile, used the congress program brochure on their desks as fans, while jokingly saying “sweating press” to each other, in reference to Erdoğan’s pledge to become a “sweating president” active in many issues.
- In the first half of Erdoğan’s speech, Ali Babacan, the deputy prime minister responsible for the economy, was the only Cabinet member mentioned beside Ahmet Davutoğlu. Does this indicate that Babacan will remain as the head of the economy in the next government? Of course, the finance minister, the Central Bank governor and whether or not interest rates will fall sharply in accordance with Erdoğan’s demand are also important, but all eyes are now on Babacan. This will become clear when Davutoğlu announces his Cabinet on Friday.
- Davutoğlu's speech had a high pitch not only in terms of history and ideology, but also with its tone of excitement and lofty rhetoric. An important political message ran throughout it: There will not be a conflict between the president and the prime minister, who are both elected by popular vote. In fact, Erdoğan will be a president who received more votes than the government. Davutoğlu is fully aware that he is now shouldering a heavy burden and complete harmony between the president and the government will be needed to avoid disruptions.
In the midst of a lengthy and tumultuous political process, the Turkish capital marked yet another milestone yesterday, when President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired a Cabinet meeting in his current capacity as prime minister for the last time.
Still, it would not be surprising for the public if Turkey’s new head of state gathers the Council of Ministers and chairs a Cabinet meeting while in the presidential Çankaya Palace, as he has constantly made clear that he is determined to use all the authorities granted to him by the Constitution.
In the run-up to the recent presidential election and after the election which he won by a popular vote, Erdoğan has repeatedly argued that the current Constitution grants “executive power” to a president who comes to office via the popular vote, just as the 1982 Constitution granted “executive power” to coup leader Kenan Evren.
Erdoğan, 60, will make a flamboyant entrance to the new and highest stage of his political career on Aug. 28, with more than a dozen heads of states and governments having already announced plans to attend the official ceremony when outgoing President Abdullah Gül hands over office to Erdoğan. Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek has already called for an extraordinary session of the General Assembly to gather when Erdoğan takes his oath of office before Parliament.
Erdoğan is expected to formally name Davutoğlu, 55, as prime minister and provide him with a mandate to form a new Cabinet on the same day as he takes office as president on Aug. 28. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) plans to call Parliament’s General Assembly for an extraordinary session on Aug. 30 for the reading out of the government’s program, if the new Cabinet is published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 29.
For his part, Davutoğlu has been concentrating on his next post after Erdoğan announced on Aug. 21, following a meeting of his ruling AKP’s executive body, that the party was designating Davutoğlu to replace him as the party’s new leader and prime minister.
Priorities and Babacan
During his first meeting with Erdoğan’s inner Cabinet after being named Erdoğan’s successor, Davutoğlu vowed to maintain economic stability, including working with Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan in the new Cabinet.
Davutoğlu held a meeting at his ruling AKP headquarters on Aug. 24 in order to work on his government’s program, as well as the upcoming extraordinary congress.
After being briefed by AKP Deputy Chair Süleyman Soylu concerning preparations for the Aug. 27 congress, at which he will be formally nominated as the party’s new chair, Davutoğlu held a lengthy meeting with key members of the Cabinet, focusing on the new government’s program. Interior Minister Efkan Ala, Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik, Transport Minister Lütfi Elvan, Youth and Sports Minister Çağatay Kılıç, AKP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Nurettin Canikli, AKP Ankara deputy and top adviser to Erdoğan, Yalçın Akdoğan, and AKP İzmir deputy and another key adviser to Erdoğan, Binali Yıldırım, were among the attendees at the three-hour meeting.
Meanwhile, on the evening of Aug. 23, Davutoğlu’s residence was the venue for a more confidential meeting, which was attended only by Babacan, Akdoğan and Elvan.
The Aug. 23 meeting was held in a “positive atmosphere,” with Davutoğlu reportedly telling Babacan about his wish to continue “working together in the new Cabinet and resuming Babacan’s economy policies,” one source said.
The markets broadly consider the fates of Babacan, the government’s point-man on the economy, and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek to be vital, as both are regarded as the guarantors of sensible economic policies under the AKP.
Reports last week had suggested that Babacan could be heading for the door, but his prominence in Erdoğan’s recent appearances has changed minds.
“Recent news suggests that Babacan and Şimşek, the market’s two favorite ministers, are likely to retain their positions in the new Cabinet,” said Finansbank in a note to its clients.
Not a puppet
While hectic work is continuing at the Ankara Arena Sports Hall to prepare for the extraordinary congress on Aug. 27, in Istanbul the AKP provincial chair Aziz Babuşçu was emphasizing that Davutoğlu would not be a "puppet,” despite claims to the contrary by the two major opposition parties.
According to Babuşçu, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are both seeking ways of creating an internal conflict within the AKP.
“There is something which they forgot. The AK Party is not an ordinary party. That’s why [CHP leader Kemal] Kılıçdaroğlu and others who think like him should not daydream for nothing,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
“Our new prime minister has a very strong character that he wouldn’t be a puppet. He also has sufficient consciousness to know that being with Erdoğan means being with the nation,” Babuşçu added.
Turkish Union of Bars head Metin Feyzioğlu has defied President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by saying he will attend the ceremony to mark the new legal year.
Feyzioğlu, whose near-one hour speech during the Council of State’s anniversary drew the ire of Erdoğan in May, replied to the Turkish leader’s statement who said he would not attend the ceremony if Feyzioğlu would speak at the event.
“Was there something wrong in May,” Feyzioğlu said, referring to the speech which prompted Erdoğan to storm off during the ceremony. “We are expressing the unlawful issues in the country. What we were defending there were the citizens’ rights via the lawyers’ rights. I really want to go and make a three-minute statement at the start of the legal year. I would really like to live in that kind of country,” Feyzioğlu added.
When asked about the length of his speech this time around, Feyzioğlu said it would be “30 minutes” long, adding he did not have a single regret over the length of his last speech in May, which lasted around “51 minutes.”
“I think the head of the Council of State should be regretful. Was it correct that they didn’t even mention the Council of State judge who was removed? So I had to mention him. Mr. Prime Minister’s preferences are his issues. I provided him with a reply [and] I would give the same reply today [if he asked me]. It’s not my problem that I talk about [these issues],” Feyzioğlu said.
As a staunch critic of the government, Feyzioğlu was also critical of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). While responding to the CHP’s Faruk Loğoğlu’s criticism on judiciary officials to avoid politics, Feyzioğlu said: “Had Loğoğlu worked a little more, I have talked a little less.”
As the main opposition, the CHP are preparing for their congress from Sept. 5-6 after having suffered back-to-back election defeats.
Feyzioğlu was once seen as a possible candidate for the party chair, but rejected the possibility of becoming a candidate.
“We are speaking about the government becoming more and more autocratic, restricting rights and freedoms,” Feyzioğlu said. “At the core of it all, is the deficiency of the opposition parties who have failed to become an alternative to the ruling [AKP] party. When [the CHP’s Presidential candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu] came out of the blue, the passengers warned the captain that the ship was going to hit an iceberg. The defeat was obvious. The election, which could have been taken to the second round, was surrendered. This only happens in societies and parties with a poor democratic culture.”
The coming 10 days will mark an important milestone in Turkish politics with a complete overhaul of the country’s executive cadres including a new prime minister and ministers under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s presidency. Ankara politics is heavily focused on the composition of the next government, with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu regarded as the strongest candidate to succeed President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) will hold its Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting on Aug. 21 to designate the chairman, just days before its extraordinary congress on Aug. 27, during which this designated figure will be officially elected as Erdoğan’s successor. Erdoğan will take office on Aug. 28 and is likely to give a mandate for the formation of the next government on Aug. 29.
As stated by Yalçın Akdoğan, Erdoğan’s closest advisor, the government to be formed following the presidential handover will not be a temporary one. “The designated figure will not be a temporary prime minister. Erdoğan is an experienced politician; he won’t take a step that would bring about a failure in the next parliamentary elections. We’ll go to polls as the same movement with the same cadres and the same spirit,” Akdoğan stressed in an interview with daily Akşam on Aug. 17. “Once a name is designated as the chairman, we will all stand behind him.”
Akdoğan’s words indicate that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) sees the handover in the party leadership as a new beginning in reaching its objectives. “We’ll live our golden years between 2015 and 2019,” he added.
The AKP government’s new beginning under Davutoğlu’s leadership will surely have challenges, but Erdoğan is planning to overcome these by keeping the party intact and unaffected by his departure. A strong government with figures that will boost the mobilization of the party grassroots and, on the other hand, not giving any sign of weakness is crucial.
The injection of fresh names in the government is highly likely, with Yalçın Akdoğan set to enter the Cabinet as deputy prime minister and the right hand man of Davutoğlu., AKP Deputy Head Mustafa Şentop could enter the Cabinet as justice minister, replacing Bekir Bozdağ in order to intensify the government’s fight to clear the judiciary of pro-Gülen prosecutors and judges. The fight against the “parallel state” will continue to be one of the priorities of the next government.
Current EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu may be appointed as the foreign minister, but he has two main competitors for the same position. One of them is İbrahim Kalın, Erdoğan’s foreign policy advisor. Kalın will either enter Cabinet or continue to serve Erdoğan in the presidency. Another name is Hakan Fidan, the chief of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT). Fidan and Davutoğlu have long been in intense and well-functioning cooperation over a number of foreign policy issues, but sources in Ankararule out Fidan’s entry to active politics due to a number of continuing preoccupations.
Sports and Youth Minister Çağatay Kılıç, 38, could be appointed as the new EU minister in the event of Çavuşoğlu’s nomination as foreign minister.
Three-term limits
One of the most important decisions to be taken by the next government will be whether the ministers who won’t be able to run for Parliament next year - due to the AKP’s internal three-term rule - will keep their seats in the Cabinet. Among these names are deputy prime ministers Bülent Arınç, Beşir Atalay and Ali Babacan, Culture Minister Ömer Çelik, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız, Labor Minister Faruk Çelik, Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazıcı and Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker. However, due to the sensitivity of some of these ministers’ jobs, Davutoğlu is expected to make a separate evaluation for each of them.
In this framework, Beşir Atalay, who is seen as the master chief of the ongoing Kurdish peace process along with Culture Minister Çelik, will keep his position. But in the event of his departure, Deputy AKP Head Mahir Ünal could be moved into the Cabinet to deal with the Kurdish issue.
Likewise, Ali Babacan, the deputy prime minister responsible for the economy, who is seen as one of the most successful ministers since 2002, may continue to serve in the Cabinet. However, there is also talk that he could be replaced by Numan Kurtulmuş, who joined the AKP in 2012.
Gül’s future steps
One of remaining issues to be set in Ankara politics will be the next steps of outgoing President Abdullah Gül, whose return to the AKP as chairman has been blocked by Erdoğan. Gül will still have hope of becoming prime minister if Erdoğan ends up designating a figure with the three-term limit problem. However, as Akdoğan put it bluntly, the elected chairman of the AKP will not be a temporary one, so Gül’s return to the party will not be easy. As suggested by many in Ankara, the only chance for Gül to return as party leader is a potential failure of the next chairman in the 2015 parliamentary elections. There are no signs of him forming a new party under the current conditions.
Those who are very hopeful over the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) election success in the name of democratic prospects in Turkey had less than a week to celebrate before a delegation went to İmralı prison and came back with a message from Abdullah Öcalan.
The imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Öcalan’s message delivered after the presidential election not only celebrated the HDP’s election success, but also marked “a historical turn in Turkey on the path of becoming a democratic state.” After everything, it seems that Öcalan and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agree on the definition of “democratic state,” despite the fact that theirs is a rather peculiar understanding of democracy. There is no doubt that Erdoğan has been elected president in a democratic election, and indeed this was the only thing that has recently worked correctly in the name of democracy in Turkey. Otherwise, the country is permanently and firmly sliding into authoritarian politics in all respects; namely, lack of freedom of expression, political transparency and accountability, independence of the judiciary, and the increasing centralization of power in the hands of Erdoğan.
Moreover, these are not only current facts, but also promises for the future under the presidency of Erdoğan. He has declared his understanding of the presidency as an all-powerful position, and he has defined his politics as “a struggle for a cause” larger than an ordinary race for the presidency. He and his supporters defined Erdoğan as the leader of the cause for a “New Turkey” and also for the whole Muslim world, describing their political struggle as a “revolutionary change.” Erdoğan is believed to be a historical leader who will determine the fate of Turkey, and his fate is identified with the “national interest.” As such, it is no surprise that Öcalan and Erdoğan share a very similar understanding of politics in general and of democracy in particular. Öcalan is a revolutionary too; he is also considered to be the sole leader of the Kurdish nation, or even the embodiment of the Kurdish cause; he too believes in his genius to redefine not only the fate of the Kurds but also the whole Middle East. Öcalan also describes democracy in a national-historical context; as Erdogan advocates and craves for a “Turkish-style presidential system,” Öcalan argues for the superiority of his model of “democratic modernity” over “capitalist modernity.” Finally, both are very skeptical about Western powers and consider complexities and complications to be plots against their respective nations in particular, and against the people of the Middle East (or Muslims in the case of Erdoğan) in general.
It is perfectly understandable for the PKK and its leader to avoid confrontation with President Erdoğan or “the leader of New Turkey” - especially under the circumstances of turmoil in the Middle East - and to express more care about recent developments in the greater Kurdish world (in Iraq and Syria). Nevertheless, Öcalan sounds more genuine than tactical and it seems that he is investing his hopes in the establisment of the New Turkey. In fact, it could be a big chance for peace and democracy if “the leaders of Turks and Kurds” agreed to commit themselves to building a more democratic Turkey.
However, it seems that they simply agree more on the idea of the “New Turkey,” but it is not clear whether they attribute the same meaning to it. Besides, each has his peculiar political models - neither of which may be easily defined as democracy - and it may be that both consider themselves to be “the master of the game,” able to manipulate the other. That is why I am very concerned about the prospects of the peace process, let alone democracy.
Turkey's relief agency said Aug. 15 it was time for the world to start "sharing the burden" for the 1.2 million Syrian refugees it is hosting, especially those living outside of refugee camps.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have fled the civil war to neighbouring Turkey in the last three years after Prime Minister and now president-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced an open-door policy.
Some 285,000 Syrian refugees are now living in refugee camps concentrated in southeastern Turkey, according Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). But a far larger number of 912,000 are living outside of camps in cities across the country, according to AFAD, and their presence has become an increasing source of tension with local residents.
AFAD's head Fuat Oktay told reporters in Istanbul that the international community should do more to help Turkey cope.
"The international community has to come to an understanding that they should become part of the solution," he said. "They (the international community) should start sharing the burden," he said.
Turkey has spent some $3.5 billion (2.6 billion euros) managing the situation but has received only $224 million in international assistance, AFAD said.
Oktay said other nations could help Turkey by building, and even running, new refugee camps inside the country. Other countries could also help building schools, a huge priority given that a quarter of refugees are of school age, and ensure that the young are not left on the streets, he said.
Tensions between local Turks and Syrian refugees living outside of camps boiled over into violent protests this week in the southern city of Gaziantep.
Reports said that some 2,000 Syrian refugees were subsequently moved from Gaziantep to refugee camps but Oktay insisted that no Syrian was forced to move as long as they were within the law.
He said the authorities were however keen for all those sleeping on the streets or in parks to be moved to camps. Asked if Syrians were free to choose whether they lived in camps or outside, he said: "They do have a choice, as long as it is within the same legal framework that Turks are also under."
Meanwhile, Turkey is also dealing with another influx of refugees after some 2,000 members of the Yazidi religious minority fled over the border from Islamic militants.
However Oktay said Turkey's "main policy is to help refugees inside Iraq" and that it was building three camps inside Iraqi territory for displaced Yazidis and Turkmens.
President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has urged his Justice and Development Party (AKP) colleagues to strictly implement its current three-term limitation principle, stressing the importance of a “young” party.
Erdoğan argues that keeping the three-term limitation helps pave the way for younger generations to replace veteran politicians in the party management.
“Do we regard political life as only being a parliamentarian? If that’s so, this is the reflection of a great personal ambition. We should stop this. Plus, we have younger generations coming. We should prepare the grounds for these younger generations. They should come and take their places in Parliament,” he said in a long address to the AKP’s expanded provincial chairs on Aug. 14.
The AKP’s representatives of provincial chairs were gathered at the party headquarters as part of Erdoğan’s consultative meetings ahead of the election of his successor at the general congress on Aug. 27. Erdoğan was scheduled to meet with his AKP lawmakers late Aug. 14 to conclude his face-to-face consultations with his party fellows.
The outgoing prime minister’s reference to “young and dynamic generations” is seen as his support to the party’s younger members claiming potential leadership in the post-Erdoğan era under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. Erdoğan recalled that the current Austrian foreign minister was only 27-years-old and that he was of the opinion that Turkish youth could also undertake such responsibilities in the best way. He also called on the next government to make the necessary amendments to reduce the age of being able to be elected to 18 from its current 25, in a sign to show the importance given to the youth.
Serving still as both the AKP chairman and as the prime minister, Erdoğan recalled that they imposed this three-term limitation principle for AKP members in the foundation of the party in 2001 in order to break the “traditional leader dictatorship” of the Turkish political system.
No U-turn from three-term principle
“I am personally an advocate of implementing this principle. But I want to say something about it. The three-term principle does not mean an end to one’s political life. It only restricts one’s election to Parliament for three consecutive terms. One can also participate in politics in our party’s different bodies or in civil society. Isn’t that politics?” he said.
A group of AKP lawmakers deemed veteran politicians have recently quarreled with the party’s younger figures over the three term principle. This veteran group is in favor of the return of outgoing President Abdullah Gül as the party chairman with hopes that this principle would be suspended. Erdoğan, however, closed the door on Gül’s early return to the party, after deciding to hold the party congress a day before the presidential handover.
Emphasizing another of the AKP’s principles, Erdoğan said the party was not based on individual leaders, but a mechanism consisted of “participation, consultation and collective minds” that was intensely used by the party’s cadres.
In his last address to the AKP’s provincial chairs, Erdoğan urged all his party fellows to be on alert against efforts to break their unity and brotherhood and not to fall into traps that would create cracks within the party. Erdoğan said running after personal ambitions and competing for positions were “acts of treachery” and called on his fellows not to fall into this trap.
“We will pass a very intense test to this end in the following two weeks,” he said, urging party members not to communicate through the media. “Whenever one has something to say, he or she can do it in our relevant bodies.”
No resignation on Aug 15
An important message Erdoğan gave on Aug. 14 was that he will not resign from the AKP chairmanship and the Prime Ministry on Aug. 15, after the official results of the presidential elections are announced by the Supreme Election Board (YSK). Criticizing some media outlets, the main opposition party and the retired judiciary officials who claim that once announced as president, all of Erdoğan’s other titles automatically drop, in line with constitutional provisions. “Mind your own business,” Erdoğan said in response.
PM sets success bar high
Underlining that he was confident the AKP under new leadership will continue to function in the most efficient way, Erdoğan set the success bar for the new leadership high.
“I have said this presidential election would be signal flare for the 2015 parliamentary elections. I am of the belief that the objective of the new leader should be winning enough of the majority to be able to change the Constitution,” he said. Amending the Constitution requires at least 367 lawmakers, two-thirds of the 550 seats.
Fight against Gülen community
One important point Erdoğan underlined that he will continue to fight against what he calls the “parallel state,” a description that government officials use for the Fethullah Gülen community, under his new capacity and urged the next prime minister not to have any sign of tolerance for this group.
“I have always said the target of this group is not Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but 77 million [Turkey’s population]. I openly declare that I will continue to fight against this treacherous group with determination,” he said.
New Turkey, new opposition
Describing the birth of the “new Turkey” following presidential elections, Erdoğan said “You know what suits the new Turkey? New opposition. It’s now indispensable,” adding that the opposition had no way left to avoid self-criticism and questioning of their own performance.
“Look at what the opposition blames for elections? They blame the voters,” he said.
President of 77 million
Erdoğan also reiterated his promise to work for social reconciliation as president and called those who don’t believe in his words to look into his 12-years of service.
“My sincere wish is that Turkey will reach out on the grounds of social reconciliation. I believe it will happen. I want everybody to know I will be doing all the best to this end,” he said.
Erdoğan argued Turkey was among countries that did the most to keep the right of minorities in reaction to criticisms, stressing they have been the assurance of Turkish Jews during Israel’s Gaza offensive.
“Just look what’s going on in Gaza. What have we said: ‘Jews in Turkey are our citizens. No one can treat them in a negative manner. They are under our guarantee.’ Our problem is with the Israeli administration and not with Israeli people. We will move with common sense and not with our emotions,” he added.
