MILLIYET- Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the elections manifesto just released by the Justice and Development Party (AKP). A summary of his column is as follows:
Everything is for Turkey! The Justice and Development Party (AKP) found this title appropriate for its 72-page booklet presenting its Nov. 3 ‘elections manifesto.’ It prepared a realistic document, one absent of radical words and eccentric promises concerning Turkey’s problems. With this manifesto, AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to tell his audience both at home and abroad, ‘Why are you afraid of me? If the AKP comes to the power, our solutions wouldn’t be different from those of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Dervis.’ This time Erdogan and the AKP staff took the podium at the Grand Cevahir Hotel, the same place where the CHP had introduced its candidates. A huge screen on the back wall showed images from Erdogan’s enthusiastic elections campaign. With his two-hour presentation, Erdogan was in effect saying, ‘I’m here’ to the voters, elections ban or no. The AKP’s candidates, its Istanbul members, and young girls -- heads exposed or covered with scarves -- were embracing their leaders. At the end of the meeting, Erdogan began his tour of Istanbul and greater Anatolia, expressing his belief that he would pave the AKP’s path to power. There were enthusiastic elections campaign songs and AKP supporters chanting ‘Prime Minister Erdogan!’ Before the meeting, we spoke with Abdullah Gul. He told us that the recent developments on Erdogan were working to the AKP’s favor. Bringing up the examples of Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Kemal Dervis, the AKP is arguing that Erdogan can serve as a prime minister just like deputies and those brought into this post from outside Parliament. Obviously, however, the Constitution constitutes an obstacle to this, and Parliament cannot appoint a prime minister from outside. Thus, the AKP has to win a majority in Parliament, so they can amend the Constitution. ‘There are other ways as well,’ said Abdulkadir Aksu. ‘We can make the deputies resign and bring Erdogan to the Parliament through a by-election.’ Erdogan is struggling not to face the same situation as Joerg Haider, the Austrian politician whose party won the elections but who remained unable to become prime minister. Not clashing with Constitutional institutions, and not creating a ruckus over such issues as headscarves: this is the AKP’s elections strategy. The elections declaration was prepared in light of this strategy. Though the system is trying to exclude the AKP, it isn’t promising wholesale economic and political change. Rather, it is talking about a ‘structural change.’ It isn’t openly opposing the International Monetary Fund, and it’s telling international markets that the ‘economic program will continue.’ It emphasizes its full support for Turkey’s EU membership and such targets as a democracy in compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, a new Constitution and abolishing the State Security Courts (DGMs). So in this declaration, the AKP seems to have abandoned its fundamentalist identity. The AKP is preparing to be the party in power!
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION