Catching a ride on a campaign trail
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Milliyet
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Åžubat 24, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - From Ankara to Nevşehir to Istanbul on the motor power of the Prime Ministry is one example of the prime minister’s recent moving and shaking for election rallies and opening ceremonies. Planes, helicopters and buses are his preferred modes of transport, all to the ire of the opposition who claim he is exploiting ministry resources ahead of elections
Jet setting across the country, the prime minister has fallen afoul of the opposition who say he is exploiting transportation resources of his ministry to the benefit of his party in the upcoming local elections.       Â
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been hit with harsh criticism for traveling to election rallies using the prime ministry’s helicopter and planes. The Justice and Development Party, or AKP, defends their leader by saying, "The prime minister attends both political rallies and opening ceremonies at the places he visits. He can do that until 10 days prior to the election."
But the opposition does not find his actions ethical. "They are engaging in deception by finding a legal loophole and abusing the law. This is not fair competition." According to election regulations, the ruling parties may organize ceremonies until 10 days prior to the elections.
Erdoğan has so far attended 13 rallies for the local elections on March 29. The prime minister traveled to those rallies using the helicopter and two of the Prime Ministry’s airplanes. Erdoğan also visited the governors of the provinces and attended opening ceremonies using ministry’s official bus and car. Erdoğan has traveled using the AKP election bus to political rallies and used the Prime Ministry bus in some of the provinces where he attended opening ceremonies.
Mustafa Özyürek, spokesman for the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said the AKP and the prime minister have made a habit of organizing the party’s rallies with state-owned vehicles and by making use of state money.
"He is organizing rallies with the people’s money. This makes the election lose legitimacy. The race is not on equal terms. They are using the openings as an excuse so they can use the vehicles. They were used again in Diyarbakır. He visits the governor and says, ’I am attending openings for the Housing Development Administration.’ There was no such thing. The state is covering the costs of the election rally," Özyürek said.
Mehmet Şandır, deputy chairman for the Parliamentary Group of the Nationalist Thinking Party, or MHP, said: "This is against the law for political parties and elections. It’s also against the Supreme Election Board’s decisions. The prime minister is engaging in deception by following rallies with government business. He is abusing the law. It is a crime to carry out an electoral propaganda rally with the facilities of the state."
Mücahit Yanılmaz, vice president for Felicity Party, or SP, said the prime minister should not use state vehicles in times of elections. "Officially, he can, but ethically and morally he should not. If you go to Diyarbakır for a rally it should be separated from the services of the state. Not using any of the state vehicles in party work is the normal thing for a prime minister to do. I hope that the prime minister will consider ethical values for the rallies to come and use the party’s transportation," Yanılmaz said.
Necati Çetinkaya, vice president for AKP, said the prime minister could use the vehicles until 10 days prior to the elections, which means March 19, if there is an opening ceremony in the provinces to be visited. "The prime minister is not visiting those provinces for the rallies only but for official openings, too. Other prime ministers in our history have done the same," Çetinkaya said. Some of the provinces Erdoğan has visited alongside some officials and deputies from the AKP were as follows:
Kırşehir, Feb. 10: Used the Prime Ministry’s helicopter roundtrip from Ankara.
Kastamonu, Feb. 11: Flew from Ankara on the ministry’s helicopter and used the Prime Ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Sivas, Feb. 13: Flew from Ankara on a Prime Ministry plane and used the ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Sinop, Feb. 14: Flew to Sinop and Amasya from Ankara on a ministry plane.
Samsun, Feb. 15: Used a ministry plane roundtrip from Ankara and the ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Kırıkkale, Feb. 17: Flew from Ankara on the ministry’s helicopter and the ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Aksaray, Feb. 19: Flew from Ankara to NevÅŸehir for a rally in Aksaray using a ministry plane and then flew to Istanbul from NevÅŸehir.
Sakarya, Feb. 20: Used the ministry’s helicopter roundtrip from Istanbul.
Diyarbakır, Feb. 21: Flew from Istanbul on a ministry plane.
Adıyaman, Feb. 22: Flew from Ankara on a ministry plane.
The electoral restriction determined by the Supreme Election Board for the propaganda period starting March 19 restricts organizing ceremonies and giving speeches for governmental services performed or announcing them via any media. The restrictions also include the usage of state vehicles for deputies for domestic travel. Organizing welcoming or farewell ceremonies and official feasts are also forbidden. Also, no civil servant is to attend the prime minister, ministers or deputies’ travels in this time period.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been hit with harsh criticism for traveling to election rallies using the prime ministry’s helicopter and planes. The Justice and Development Party, or AKP, defends their leader by saying, "The prime minister attends both political rallies and opening ceremonies at the places he visits. He can do that until 10 days prior to the election."
But the opposition does not find his actions ethical. "They are engaging in deception by finding a legal loophole and abusing the law. This is not fair competition." According to election regulations, the ruling parties may organize ceremonies until 10 days prior to the elections.
Erdoğan has so far attended 13 rallies for the local elections on March 29. The prime minister traveled to those rallies using the helicopter and two of the Prime Ministry’s airplanes. Erdoğan also visited the governors of the provinces and attended opening ceremonies using ministry’s official bus and car. Erdoğan has traveled using the AKP election bus to political rallies and used the Prime Ministry bus in some of the provinces where he attended opening ceremonies.
Mustafa Özyürek, spokesman for the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said the AKP and the prime minister have made a habit of organizing the party’s rallies with state-owned vehicles and by making use of state money.
"He is organizing rallies with the people’s money. This makes the election lose legitimacy. The race is not on equal terms. They are using the openings as an excuse so they can use the vehicles. They were used again in Diyarbakır. He visits the governor and says, ’I am attending openings for the Housing Development Administration.’ There was no such thing. The state is covering the costs of the election rally," Özyürek said.
Mehmet Şandır, deputy chairman for the Parliamentary Group of the Nationalist Thinking Party, or MHP, said: "This is against the law for political parties and elections. It’s also against the Supreme Election Board’s decisions. The prime minister is engaging in deception by following rallies with government business. He is abusing the law. It is a crime to carry out an electoral propaganda rally with the facilities of the state."
Mücahit Yanılmaz, vice president for Felicity Party, or SP, said the prime minister should not use state vehicles in times of elections. "Officially, he can, but ethically and morally he should not. If you go to Diyarbakır for a rally it should be separated from the services of the state. Not using any of the state vehicles in party work is the normal thing for a prime minister to do. I hope that the prime minister will consider ethical values for the rallies to come and use the party’s transportation," Yanılmaz said.
Necati Çetinkaya, vice president for AKP, said the prime minister could use the vehicles until 10 days prior to the elections, which means March 19, if there is an opening ceremony in the provinces to be visited. "The prime minister is not visiting those provinces for the rallies only but for official openings, too. Other prime ministers in our history have done the same," Çetinkaya said. Some of the provinces Erdoğan has visited alongside some officials and deputies from the AKP were as follows:
Kırşehir, Feb. 10: Used the Prime Ministry’s helicopter roundtrip from Ankara.
Kastamonu, Feb. 11: Flew from Ankara on the ministry’s helicopter and used the Prime Ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Sivas, Feb. 13: Flew from Ankara on a Prime Ministry plane and used the ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Sinop, Feb. 14: Flew to Sinop and Amasya from Ankara on a ministry plane.
Samsun, Feb. 15: Used a ministry plane roundtrip from Ankara and the ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Kırıkkale, Feb. 17: Flew from Ankara on the ministry’s helicopter and the ministry’s bus to go to openings.
Aksaray, Feb. 19: Flew from Ankara to NevÅŸehir for a rally in Aksaray using a ministry plane and then flew to Istanbul from NevÅŸehir.
Sakarya, Feb. 20: Used the ministry’s helicopter roundtrip from Istanbul.
Diyarbakır, Feb. 21: Flew from Istanbul on a ministry plane.
Adıyaman, Feb. 22: Flew from Ankara on a ministry plane.
The electoral restriction determined by the Supreme Election Board for the propaganda period starting March 19 restricts organizing ceremonies and giving speeches for governmental services performed or announcing them via any media. The restrictions also include the usage of state vehicles for deputies for domestic travel. Organizing welcoming or farewell ceremonies and official feasts are also forbidden. Also, no civil servant is to attend the prime minister, ministers or deputies’ travels in this time period.