Baykal says polls mark new politics era
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Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 01, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The eight point drop in votes for the ruling party marks a new term in Turkish politics, signaling a possible change in power in the next general elections, the main opposition party leader said yesterday.
"These elections signal that the political picture will completely change," Deniz Baykal, leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said in a press conference while analyzing the results of the local elections.
The CHP increased its votes by nearly 7.5 percent compared to 2007’s general elections while the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, received 38.8 percent of votes, nearly 8 percent less than it did in the previous elections. "The AKP increased its effectiveness in both the 2004 and 2007 elections. These local elections show that it has reached its limit. I believe these results are indicative of future trends. The AKP’s rise to a position [where it can] single-handedly orient political life in Turkey and its oppressive use of the power it wields have created new concerns about democracy in Turkey," Baykal said.
’AKP will lose power’
"The AKP has to see that it will lose power. Thus it has to exert its policies now and then based on this fact," he said. Baykal said that nearly all opposition parties increased their votes and strengthened their positions. On the CHP’s poor performances in eastern and southeastern Anatolia, Baykal said a detailed analysis would be prepared and measures to increase the visibility of the party in these regions would be taken according to the findings of the analysis. "We have to ready the CHP for different tasks," he said.
The CHP increased its votes by nearly 7.5 percent compared to 2007’s general elections while the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, received 38.8 percent of votes, nearly 8 percent less than it did in the previous elections. "The AKP increased its effectiveness in both the 2004 and 2007 elections. These local elections show that it has reached its limit. I believe these results are indicative of future trends. The AKP’s rise to a position [where it can] single-handedly orient political life in Turkey and its oppressive use of the power it wields have created new concerns about democracy in Turkey," Baykal said.
’AKP will lose power’
"The AKP has to see that it will lose power. Thus it has to exert its policies now and then based on this fact," he said. Baykal said that nearly all opposition parties increased their votes and strengthened their positions. On the CHP’s poor performances in eastern and southeastern Anatolia, Baykal said a detailed analysis would be prepared and measures to increase the visibility of the party in these regions would be taken according to the findings of the analysis. "We have to ready the CHP for different tasks," he said.