Deputy PM: No rift with Erdoğan, gov't will follow his strategy on reconciliation

Deputy Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Bülent Arınç said that his highly-debated statements on the reconciliation process and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's stance on the process reflected his own opinion. He also ruled out the allegations that he held talks with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu prior to his press statements, which were portrayed by some media outlets as indicative of a rift between the president and the government.

"There have been certain reports in the media, which aimed to portray a rift between myself and the president. I would not get into an emotional debate with Erdoğan, especially when we have gone through walls of fire together throughout our political life. The relationship between us is a strong one based on our ideals. Thus, if you were to analyze the statements I made, you will see no polemics between the president, who is the head of state, and I. If he was unaware of certain developments, it would be our fault for not informing him well enough," Arınç said.

Arınç added that the government should inform the president about the developments on the reconciliation process more frequently, which he said they failed to do so up until now. "We will follow the road map that he will draw after being informed of the latest developments, as he is the one who launched the process," he said.