Former politician to try his luck in local elections
Güncelleme Tarihi:
ISTANBUL - The Motherland Party, or ANAVATAN's, Istanbul mayoral candidate, Ahmet Özal, said he knew he had little chance in the local elections but he would at least be an alternative, something he said was absent in Turkish politics today.
The son of former President Turgut Özal, Özal mentioned his father was the first leader who introduced free market ideals and supported private initiatives in Turkey.
Özal criticized the financial policies of the current government. He said lowering inflation shrank the economy in general. "The prime minister pretends that they avoid coming to an agreement with the IMF, but this is not true and they pretend to for their image before the elections," Özal said at a meeting with members of the ARI Movement, a nongovernmental organization working on political issues.
He said the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, has been too assertive and they believed nothing could happen to them. Özal criticized the AKP for putting pressure on the Doğan Media Group and added that this pressure would not stop until all the opposition was silenced in Turkey. The main opposition Republican and People’s Party, or CHP, does not have a chance in Turkish politics as long as it stays away from the common people, said Özal. Özal said he had projects planned for Istanbul.
"The first thing I will do is take measures against the earthquake that is supposed to hit Istanbul in the near future." Özal’s proposal is to ask private contractors to rebuild Istanbul buildings from their own budget and in line with earthquake protective measures. He admits that his opponents have stronger candidates, but for Özal, it just seems to be a way to re-enter politics.