Rejecting terror 1st step, says Gül
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Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 08, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - In a meeting with Ahmet Türk, the co-chairman of the Democratic Society Party, President Abdullah Gül says the strengthening of democracy will prove to be difficult as long as the threat of terrorism persists
As long as terrorism threats continue, it will be difficult to strengthen democracy, President Abdullah Gül told the leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party yesterday, the Anatolia news agency reported.
"That’s why we have to firmly denounce terrorism," Gül told Ahmet Türk, the co-chair of the Democratic Society Party, or DTP. The two met as part of a round of talks Gül is holding with the leaders of the country’s opposition parties. Gül said the Kurdish question would be resolved automatically as the level of democracy improves. Following talks with opposition leaders Deniz Baykal and Devlet Bahçeli, the president met with Türk yesterday to discuss recent domestic and international developments. The DTP has often been criticized by other parties, and by the military, for not severing its ties with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
"The DTP is not a party of a specific region, but of all of Turkey," Gül told Türk. "You should focus on all the problems of the country, instead of on a single issue, and take the initiative to create an environment for dialogue." The DTP’s success in southeastern Anatolia has caused concern among both the mainstream parties and the military. A DTP deputy’s statement after the March 29 local elections that "the election results drew the borders of Kurdistan" sparked harsh criticism.
Along with many other issues, proposed constitutional amendments were also on the agenda of the president’s meetings with party leaders. The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, seeks to amend a number of articles of the Constitution but requires the backing of at least 40 deputies from other parties to do so.
Gül’s tenure not discussed
According to unpublicized drafted proposals, the AKP is planning to amend around 20 articles of the Constitution, including an article that would clarify the length of Gül’s tenure in office. The controversy stems from a constitutional amendment approved in 2007 to reduce the tenure of president from seven years to five, with the right to be re-elected once for an additional term. As Gül was elected to his position before the amendment went into force, some AKP members argue that he should not be affected by the changes and should still serve out a seven-year term.
According to sources, after failing to get the opposition’s support, the AKP brass is now planning to limit the amendments to a few changes and postpone the ones on the presidential tenure. Gül yesterday denied that the controversy over his tenure was discussed in his meetings with opposition party leaders. "It’s not my job to talk about it," he said. Baykal’s Republican People’s Party and Bahçeli’s Nationalist Movement Party have already announced their position on the issue. Both agree that the new presidential tenure of five years should apply to Gül. Türk did not disclose the DTP’s position on the issue, but said, "The hope of all of us is to make Turkey more democratic and contemporary." He added that he had expressed his party’s views on the solutions to the Kurdish issue. In answer to a question about the carnage that claimed the lives of 44 people near the southeastern city of Mardin this week, Türk said the incident should not be described as the result of a "blood feud." Emphasizing that he also has difficulty in explaining the motives behind the incident, Türk preferred to discuss the much-criticized system of village guards.
"If these weapons had not be given to these village guards, such a carnage would not have been experienced," he said. "It’s not new. We know very well that the guards in the region have abused the authorities provided by the state by exploiting and dictating to the people."
"That’s why we have to firmly denounce terrorism," Gül told Ahmet Türk, the co-chair of the Democratic Society Party, or DTP. The two met as part of a round of talks Gül is holding with the leaders of the country’s opposition parties. Gül said the Kurdish question would be resolved automatically as the level of democracy improves. Following talks with opposition leaders Deniz Baykal and Devlet Bahçeli, the president met with Türk yesterday to discuss recent domestic and international developments. The DTP has often been criticized by other parties, and by the military, for not severing its ties with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
"The DTP is not a party of a specific region, but of all of Turkey," Gül told Türk. "You should focus on all the problems of the country, instead of on a single issue, and take the initiative to create an environment for dialogue." The DTP’s success in southeastern Anatolia has caused concern among both the mainstream parties and the military. A DTP deputy’s statement after the March 29 local elections that "the election results drew the borders of Kurdistan" sparked harsh criticism.
Along with many other issues, proposed constitutional amendments were also on the agenda of the president’s meetings with party leaders. The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, seeks to amend a number of articles of the Constitution but requires the backing of at least 40 deputies from other parties to do so.
Gül’s tenure not discussed
According to unpublicized drafted proposals, the AKP is planning to amend around 20 articles of the Constitution, including an article that would clarify the length of Gül’s tenure in office. The controversy stems from a constitutional amendment approved in 2007 to reduce the tenure of president from seven years to five, with the right to be re-elected once for an additional term. As Gül was elected to his position before the amendment went into force, some AKP members argue that he should not be affected by the changes and should still serve out a seven-year term.
According to sources, after failing to get the opposition’s support, the AKP brass is now planning to limit the amendments to a few changes and postpone the ones on the presidential tenure. Gül yesterday denied that the controversy over his tenure was discussed in his meetings with opposition party leaders. "It’s not my job to talk about it," he said. Baykal’s Republican People’s Party and Bahçeli’s Nationalist Movement Party have already announced their position on the issue. Both agree that the new presidential tenure of five years should apply to Gül. Türk did not disclose the DTP’s position on the issue, but said, "The hope of all of us is to make Turkey more democratic and contemporary." He added that he had expressed his party’s views on the solutions to the Kurdish issue. In answer to a question about the carnage that claimed the lives of 44 people near the southeastern city of Mardin this week, Türk said the incident should not be described as the result of a "blood feud." Emphasizing that he also has difficulty in explaining the motives behind the incident, Türk preferred to discuss the much-criticized system of village guards.
"If these weapons had not be given to these village guards, such a carnage would not have been experienced," he said. "It’s not new. We know very well that the guards in the region have abused the authorities provided by the state by exploiting and dictating to the people."