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AKP needs to rebuild bridges, Turkey's opposition leader says - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
Sunday, June 13, 2010
ANKARA Hürriyet Daily News
Turkish main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party criticized the ruling government’s foreign policy on Sunday, saying that Turkey had shifted its axis thanks to the Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
"Serious circles have started to debate over a shift in our axis. This is a result of AKP’s foreign politics," said Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, during a weekend tour of the country.
"There is a crisis in trust with the West because of their politics and the AKP needs to repair it immediately. If they don’t, then we will see worse results in the next few," he said.
The CHP leader said Turkey should get rid of the AKP’s false policies, speaking Saturday in the Black Sea town of Amasya.
“Turkey needs to launch a new independence war,” Kılıçdaroğlu said. “The CHP is the candidate to rule the country. We will serve our country. The real face of the AKP has now been disclosed.”
PM responds
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at his party’s provincial meeting in the Black Sea province of Rize on Sunday, hit back at critics of his party’s foreign policy.
“Those who argue that Turkey’s axis has shifted are unable to understand Turkey’s new role and its multi-dimensional foreign policy,” said Erdoğan.
He also slammed the EU for not following through with its own policies.
“The EU has been putting us off for 50 years,” said the prime minister, referring to Turkey’s original application to the then-European Economic Community in 1959.
“There is no other country like Turkey,” he said. “We have established a ministry specifically for EU accession and our chief negotiator, Egemen Bağış, is a state minister. We do everything we can, but they are still putting us off.”
Erdoğan said the EU must accept Turkey if it is not a “Christian club.”
“I know the real reason, but I do not like to say it,” he said. “The only way the EU will prove that it’s not a Christian club is to have a member country whose majority is Muslim. But they cannot do that.”
Sunday, June 13, 2010
ANKARA Hürriyet Daily News
Turkish main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party criticized the ruling government’s foreign policy on Sunday, saying that Turkey had shifted its axis thanks to the Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
"Serious circles have started to debate over a shift in our axis. This is a result of AKP’s foreign politics," said Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, during a weekend tour of the country.
"There is a crisis in trust with the West because of their politics and the AKP needs to repair it immediately. If they don’t, then we will see worse results in the next few," he said.
The CHP leader said Turkey should get rid of the AKP’s false policies, speaking Saturday in the Black Sea town of Amasya.
“Turkey needs to launch a new independence war,” Kılıçdaroğlu said. “The CHP is the candidate to rule the country. We will serve our country. The real face of the AKP has now been disclosed.”
PM responds
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at his party’s provincial meeting in the Black Sea province of Rize on Sunday, hit back at critics of his party’s foreign policy.
“Those who argue that Turkey’s axis has shifted are unable to understand Turkey’s new role and its multi-dimensional foreign policy,” said Erdoğan.
He also slammed the EU for not following through with its own policies.
“The EU has been putting us off for 50 years,” said the prime minister, referring to Turkey’s original application to the then-European Economic Community in 1959.
“There is no other country like Turkey,” he said. “We have established a ministry specifically for EU accession and our chief negotiator, Egemen Bağış, is a state minister. We do everything we can, but they are still putting us off.”
Erdoğan said the EU must accept Turkey if it is not a “Christian club.”
“I know the real reason, but I do not like to say it,” he said. “The only way the EU will prove that it’s not a Christian club is to have a member country whose majority is Muslim. But they cannot do that.”
