SIGNALING CONCILIATION, ERDOGAN HANDS IN RESIGNATION TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW AKP ADMINISTRATION
Following his Justice and Development Party's (AKP) resounding victory in Sunday's general elections, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip yesterday presented the resignation of the current government to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The Cabinet will stay in office till the new government is established. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Erdogan gave signals of conciliation, saying that the harsh words of the just-concluded campaign should be left behind. "I believe that Turkey will grow stronger after these elections," he said. "Under the new government, our nation will see the country improve. Together we'll take necessary steps to benefit our nation and democracy." Asked if Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had spoken to him about the forthcoming presidential election, Erdogan said that Gul's views on the issue carry great importance for him. A crisis over Gul's aborted presidential candidacy in May triggered Sunday's early elections. In related news, Erdogan yesterday made separate telephone calls to his main election rivals: main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, just-resigned Democrat Party (DP) leader Mehmet Agar, and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli. Erdogan told Baykal that they should meet to talk about what steps are needed on certain issues, including the presidential election, and Baykal agreed. /Turkiye-Sabah/
WORLD LEADERS CONGRATULATE ERDOGAN ON ELECTION VICTORY
German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying, "The outcome of this election is also your personal achievement. I wish you success in the coming days full of responsibility." Also following Sunday's election victory for the government, European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn issued a statement urging Turkey to open its harbors and airports to Greek Cypriot vessels. Saying that this problem has slowed down Turkey's EU negotiations, Rehn added that it was very important for the new government to reinvigorate economic and legal reforms. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday telephoned Erdogan to congratulate him. Alan Makovsky, a senior staff member of the US House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday described the victory of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as a "tsunami." Other world leaders yesterday also telephoned Erdogan to congratulate him on his victory, including Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos, Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Saudi King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. /Hurriyet/
BAHCELI: "THE MHP WILL FULFILL ITS DUTY OF OPPOSITION"
In a statement on Sunday's elections, where the ruling party's victory left the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) a distant third, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday attributed the victory to factors outside Parliament. He claimed that while recent months saw the ruling Justice and Development Party losing ground, extra-parliamentary factors had led the AKP to attract support which it didn't deserve. The statement further stressed that the nation had given the MHP the duty of opposition and that his party would do its utmost to fulfill it. In related news, Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer issued a statement saying that he respected the election outcome and expressed hope that the AKP would try to solve the nation's most pressing problems such as unemployment, poverty, and terrorism. /Sabah-Turkiye/
PACE DELEGATION: "TURKEY HELD MODEL GENERAL ELECTIONS"
Luc Van den Brande, Belgian parliamentarian and head of a Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) delegation which observed Sunday's general elections, yesterday said that Turkey's Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) as well as provincial and local election boards had fulfilled their duties honestly and effectively. At a press conference after the 36-member delegation finished its work, it said that Turkey has a democratic election tradition and that high voter turnout showed the people's confidence in the democratic process. /Star/
BUSINESS FIGURES SEE OPPORTUNITY IN AKP VICTORY
Top Turkish business figures yesterday hailed the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) historic second-term election victory. Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) head Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag issued a statement saying that the peaceful atmosphere during the elections showed the success of democracy. Yalcindag further stressed that in the months and years to come, Parliament should work to promote reconciliation within the country. In addition, Sabanci Holding Chairwoman Guler Sabanci said that a second AKP single-party government presented a great opportunity. /Milliyet/