Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said that, the reception boycott did not result from his wife’s turban, the boycott was against the government. Arinc said, "I talked with CHP (Republican People's Party) leader Deniz Baykal after I heard his statement at the CHP’s group meeting. His stance was against the government. But this was wrong, because I am not a government member. "
AKP (Justice and Development Party) Deputy Chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat said, “ Interrogating the government is the work of Parliament. The government has the right to speak and we will not be silent. We can give explanation for our actions.”
Criticizing the reception boycott harshly, Vice Chairman of the Constitutional Court Hasim Kilic said that, the assembly of the nation was not monopolized by anyone.
Leader of CHP Deniz Baykal said about the boycott that, their protest in the April 23 reception was aimed at a warning against the government. Baykal stressed that; the government should evaluate CHP’s reaction seriously.
Stressing that CHP was under the pressure of not opposing, Forest Minister Osman Pepe said that, he did not understand the manners of CHP leader Deniz Baykal while the economy was beginning to become active.
Pepe said, “Everybody, who is in whichever position of the state, should talk about N. Iraq, EU, Cyprus and the debts of the Turkey, not other things.”
AKP (Justice and Development Party) Group Deputy Chairman Eyup Fatsa said, “There are important problems on the agenda of Turkey. Turkey should overcome these problems with the ruling and opposition parties.”
(04.25.2003)