Speaking at the eighth congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the capital of Ankara on Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the era of intervention into politics was over, in reference to recent remarks by executives of a business association.
Erdoğan said some businesses enjoyed huge profits under successive governments of his AK Party, yet they resorted to dirty opposition tactics. “We have no place for unlicensed politics or an unlicensed economy,” he said, urging them to either form a political party or join the existing ones. He did not name the names, but the president clearly referred to the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSIAD). TÜSIAD has been under fire over remarks by TÜSIAD executive Ömer Aras, who recently said judicial investigations into opposition leaders on charges of corruption had "shaken trust and damaged democracy."
The group's notorious statements drew the ire of Erdoğan, who last Wednesday vowed not to tolerate conspiracies of the association. Erdoğan on Wednesday accused TÜSIAD of meddling in politics and undermining the government, noting it had "overstepped" and dismissed it as a remnant of the past that had thrived on economic privilege and political influence.
"We always supported small businesses and industrialists. We expanded investments and employment, which were controlled by a bunch of elites. Yet, we see some old habits die hard. They try to intervene in politics and the government. They don't accept that Türkiye has changed," Erdoğan said in his address to the congress. "The only thing that matters for them is compensation for their losses from the treasury of the state. We tell the barons of chaos that this nation has the ability to turn your dreams into nightmares. If you insist on your old habits, you will be treated accordingly," he said. TÜSIAD, founded in the immediate aftermath of a covert coup in the 1970s, has faced accusations of acting together with coup leaders in the following decades, most notoriously during the 1997 coup. Critics say the business association belongs to the same mindset, justifying coups for democratically-elected governments acting against their demands. "If you are willing to engage in politics, you can do so. Our democracy will only be enriched if you establish a new party," Erdoğan said on Sunday. He also criticized the opposition for acting as a "spokesperson for comprador bourgeoise" by defending TÜSIAD's statements.
The president also spoke about the terror-free Türkiye initiative to end PKK terrorism. He underlined that terrorism and democracy cannot function together, and the terrorist group should lay down arms. "Terror-free Türkiye is the expectation of a national agreement. Terrorism and politics, democracy cannot go hand in hand. You have to choose either terrorism or democracy. We have no time to waste on rhetoric useless for Turks and Kurds. Türkiye has to get rid of terrorism. The days of elimination of the dark shadow of terrorism from our country are close. We will destroy the wall of terrorism," he said. Erdoğan has championed the initiative launched by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who called the jailed leader of the terrorist group to make a call to the group to lay down arms or face annihilation. Abdullah Öcalan hailed the call but did not make the final statement to call PKK to surrender weapons yet.
