Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Erdoğan pans opposition’s perception of presidency

by AA

ANKARA Jul 09, 2014 - 12:00 am GMT+3
No Image
by AA Jul 09, 2014 12:00 am
Turkey's Prime Minister and presidential candidate Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has scorned opposition parties' portrayal of their joint candidate as an 'impartial statesman,' saying he will be biased towards the nation when elected.

"If I'm elected, I will not be an impartial president. There are two sides: the state and the nation. I will be on the side of the nation," Erdoğan said Tuesday during his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's parliamentary group meeting in Ankara.

"We are not electing a flower pot for the display window of the state but a president who will administer the state, be a commander-in-chief and enable a smooth functioning of the state institutions," he said.

In response to the main opposition Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroğlu's statements that their candidate is "above politics," Erdoğan said the president should be a full-fledged politician, adding that searching for candidates out of politics is a reflection of coup mentality.

The country's two main opposition parties the Republican People's Party and the Nationalist Movement Party nominated 77-year-old Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, former head of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, as their joint presidential candidate.

"I have a question, can a president be impartial? Who were the impartial presidents in Turkey? Was the second president of Turkey, Ismet Inönü, who got himself elected by bullying and besieging the parliament, an impartial president?" Erdoğan said.

A close colleague of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and a revered hero of the War of Independence, Inönü led the Republican People's Party from Atatürk's death in 1938 to 1972.

"Or Cemal Gürsel, who got elected under the shadow of the 1960 coup, or army generals Cevdet Sunay and Fahri Korutürk, or the convicted leader of the 1980 military coup Kenan Evren, or Süleyman Demirel, or Ahmet Necdet Sezer? Which one of them was impartial?"

"We know that all of these presidents were partial one way or another," Erdoğan said.

Former president Cemal Gürsel was the leader of the armed forces during the coup d'etat of 1960. Cevdet Sunay and Fahri Korutürk were also army and navy generals. Kenan Evren was the leader of the military junta, which staged the 1980 military coup.

Turks will go to polls on August 10 to choose their first popularly-elected president. If no candidate can secure more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, a runoff will be held on August 24 between the top two candidates.

  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Jul 09, 2014 10:52 am
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    homepage
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Here's how famous 'Queen's Gambit' chessboards are made
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021