Bahceli: Postponement Of Elections Will Cause A Serious Cost To Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) - 22.07.2002 - State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said on Monday, ''postponement of the elections past November 3, 2002, will cause a serious cost to Turkey.''
Holding a press conference at his office at the parliament, Bahceli said, ''recent developments in the early elections process have brought forth some serious concerns about the possibility of a difficult period. November 3, 2002 is the most appropriate date to hold the early elections. During last week's meeting among the coalition partners, a compromise was reached to hold the early elections. The parliament should convene as soon as possible, and take the necessary decision to hold the early elections on November 3, 2002. However, the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP) have changed their attitudes about date of the early elections. Their assuming a different attitude is a surprising development for us. We do not consider their reasons to change their attitudes persuasive.''
''Postponement of the elections past November 3, 2002, will cause a serious cost to Turkey. A development like this will invite a crisis situation. It will also cause a government crisis. According to my point of view, no one has the right to drag Turkey into an atmosphere of chaos,'' he emphasized.
Bahceli said, ''we defended that Turkey should go to the early elections under the rule of the 57th government. We paved the way for efforts to reach a compromise among political parties at the parliament except for the MHP to adopt the adjustment laws with the EU with this condition. Some changes has happened in the distribution of seats at the parliament since the formation of the 57th government. As a result, we should hold elections in the commissions. If the adjustment laws with the EU are debated before a decision is taken to hold the early elections, it will jeopardize holding the elections on November 3.''
''There is not enough time to make changes in the Election Law and in the Political Parties Law,'' he added.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Movement party (MHP) deputies collected 125 signatures, and applied to the Parliament Speaker's Office to convene the General Assembly on June 29.