ANKARA (CIHAN) - Two Republican People`s Party (CHP) deputies are reportedly resigning from their party in order to join the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Speaking after the general assembly of the CHP, deputy Necdet Budak of Edirne reportedly stated: "I have lost my ability to work in this party." Adana deputy Atilla Basoglu also reportedly resigned after the two were called looters by party leader Deniz Baykal. Basoglu stated, "I can`t understand Deniz Baykal`s word`s `The looters!`"
The two deputies reportedly will join the AKP at its parliament group meeting at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. The initiation ceremony was due to be on August 14th, 2004, the 3rd anniversary of the founding of the AK Party, however, party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded that the deputies not delay in order to prevent the CHP from persuading the two deputies to come back. The CHP was reportedly unable to convince Budak and Basoglu to stay.
The addition of the two deputies will increase the number of seats of the AKP in parliament to 369. CHP now maintains 171 seats.