Erdogan: Lifting Of Political Bans Is A Duty Laid By People On Ak Party

ANKARA - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, ''lifting of political bans is a duty laid by people on the AK Party. We will fulfill this duty.''
Holding a press conference at the AK Party Headquarters, Erdogan said, ''our first activity will be about the European Union (EU). We have nearly 40 days before the EU's Copenhagen Summit in December. AK Party will be designated to form the government, and this process will take time. We should pay visits to EU member countries, ruling parties and opposition parties without waiting for it. We will take the necessary steps. We want to prove our determination.''
''This process will be an opportunity for us to remove the misunderstandings about the AK Party in the EU member countries. We have already completed our preparatory work by meeting with ambassadors. Now, we will start this process by paying visits to ruling and opposition parties,'' he said.
When asked, ''you have the majority to change the Constitution. Do you plan to make a constitutional change to lift political ban on yourself?'' Erdogan said, ''yes, of course. After receiving the final figures, we will assess the situation. Lifting of political bans and obstacles in front of freedoms is a duty laid by people on the AK Party. We will fulfill this duty.''
When asked about his opinions about a possible U.S. military operation against Iraq, Erdogan said that even American people had not yet adopted a ''clear'' opinion about the issue.
''Regarding this issue, the international coalition prior to the Afghanistan war is not is question, we are bound by the U.N.'s decision and attitude towards the issue. We cannot say anything before seeing the U.N.'s attitude. Furthermore, as Turkey, we suffered serious losses during the Gulf War and we are continuing to suffer. We don't want bloodshed, tears and death. Recently, American officials have frequently stated that they would not impose such a sanction on Iraq if there are not mass destruction weapons. We hope that this would be solved peacefully and humanity would not suffer such problems,'' he said.
When asked when he would name their prime minister candidate, Erdogan said that it's the President's authority to appoint the Prime Minister and that AK Party's relevant committees would make negotiations about the issue.
''After those consultations, I believe and suppose that the President and our party's leader would assess the developments under Article 109 and this will be the suitable way. However, I have never said that it was my authority to appoint the Prime Minister. Article 109 of the Constitution actually clarifies this issue. It is the President's authority to appoint the Prime Minister. I believe that the issue would be solved in the ideal way through mutual consultations,'' he said.
Replying a question which said, ''there are cases against you. As the leader of the biggest party of Turkey, will you appear at courts?'' Erdogan said, ''tonight, we are talking about new hopes about November 4. You should better study near political future, then you can easily find the answers.''