AK Party holds first referendum rally in town renamed after July 15 coup

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) launched its "Yes" campaign ahead of the April 16 referendum on the constitutional amendment package with Prime Minister and AK Party Chairman Binali Yıldırım holding his first rally in the district of Kahramankazan northwest of Ankara yesterday, which drew nationwide attention for its heroic stance on the night of the July 15 failed coup attempt. Addressing a large crowd in Kahramankazan Saturday, Prime Minister Yıldırım began by praising the heroism shown by the citizens of the district on the night of the bloody coup attempt, emphasizing that people showed "exemplary action" to the rest of the world.

With 47 days left until the critical referendum on the constitutional amendment package to change the country's governing system from a parliamentary system to a presidential one, the prime minister greeted a massive crowd in Kahramankazan, telling the people that the new Constitution will eliminate all means of terrorism, including the PKK terrorist organization, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and Daesh, noting that Turkey will be further strengthened and finally equipped with the means necessary to eradicate terrorism: "I know that the new constitution will bring peace and brotherhood to our country, while furthering the stability of Turkey. Let us all vote 'yes' in the referendum to further enhance our country's unity and comradery." Yıldırım. He called upon Turkey's Kurdish populace, urging them to be proud of their heritage and addressing Kurdish citizens directly by saying: "I want you to know that this cowardly PKK terrorist organization does not serve the interests of the Kurdish people but rather operates under a terrorist ideology. You have a PKK terror group problem. But don't you worry because as the day [of the referendum] draws near, we will not only eliminate [the PKK] from [our] country but also will not allow them to come between [Turks and the Kurdish people] anymore."

Going on to criticize main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for remarks he made against another key aspect of the referendum, increasing the number of parliamentary deputies from 550 to 600, Prime Minister Yıldırım addressed the CHP chairman's criticism by recalling the CHP's recent telephone bill controversy, involving CHP Deputy Elif Doğan Türkmen, who racked up a TL 1.2-million ($310,005) bill from her telephone carrier in an outrageous bill that was ultimately paid for by Parliament. The prime minister clarified Kılıçdaroğlu's criticism of the constitutional amendment, arguing that increasing the number of deputies means that an additional 50 deputies are going to get paid, urging the CHP leader in his remarks yesterday not to distort the truth.

The city of Kahramankazan, located just north of Ankara and known prior to the coup attempt as "Kazan," is home to Akıncı Air Base where seven of the 248 killed during the coup attempt lost their lives. In honor of those who sacrificed their lives for democracy, parliamentary deputies formally renamed the district of Kazan "Kahramankazan," including the prefix "Kahraman," which means "hero" in Turkish. In that respect, Yıldırım said yesterday: "On the night of July 15, the people of Kahramankazan were the first to respond to fight back against the putschist F16 pilots. Your legacy, courage in combat and efforts to protect the national will have become an example for the rest of the world." Continuing by urging people to go to the ballots and place their votes, the prime minister told the people of Kahramankazan: "You will continue the legacy that began on July 15 by having the final word in the April 16 referendum, making history by eliminating tutelage from this country forever."

During the AK Party's referendum campaign launched at Arena Stadium in the capital Ankara on Saturday, Yildirim explained the 18-item reform bill to the crowd in detail, saying, "The constitutional change that we are taking to a public referendum would complete the unfinished business that was started in 2007," referring to a constitutional referendum that year that paved the way for direct election of the president. While the arena was decorated with pictures of Turkey's founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Yıldırım- inspired campaign songs, "We say yes," "Millions of Yesses" and "Strong Turkey with Yes," were heard playing continuously. A "Yes" campaign that highlighted the progress made across the country with regards to the economy, transportation and the health sector along with mega public works projects launched under the AK Party government were shown to the crowd. One video featured footage from last July's defeated coup and the bombing of Parliament.