MILLIYET- Columnist Taha Akyol comments on the Justice and Development Party (AKP). A summary of his column is as follows:
Our new Parliament consists of 550 deputies, with fully 458 of them entering the chamber for the first time. Of returning deputies, there are just 92. As foreign Former Minister Hikmet Cetin remarked, Parliament has renewed itself following ‘a revolution carried out by the nation.’ The Justice and Development Party (AKP) is a new party. The Democratic Left Party (DSP), Nationalist Action Party (MHP), True Path Party and Motherland Party (ANAP), which collectively dominated Parliament over the last decade, are now nowhere to be found. Soldiers listened to yesterday’s oath-taking ceremony from the audience box seats, as usual. In other words, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok emphasized the armed forces’ ‘respect for the nation’s will’ from the first day of the election. Yes, rules and customs are still continuing in Parliament, in which the AKP is in the majority. It’s a good rejoinder to those who were expecting a crisis.
It’s impossible to understand how Ecevit tarred the AKP as a threat against secularism and even talked about a ‘problem of the state.’ Ecevit would do well to speak more wisely. Even as the AKP is issuing positive messages to the world and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is contributing to this, Ecevit is sending the wrong message. He also criticized Erdogan’s visit to Italy this week, asking ‘what title’ he would carry with him there. Erdogan paid the visit at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, under the title ‘Erdogan,’ and he will next meet the Greek and Spanish prime ministers the same way. People said that Turkey’s relations with the EU would deteriorate if the AKP won the elections, but it’s just the opposite, good messages are being received. Nine measures which Erdogan announced for Turkey’s accession are becoming realities. Of course Erdogan should continue his visits abroad and the AKP should hasten to form its new government.
Parliament CHP member Sukru Elekdag, who chaired Parliament’s opening session, spoke about Turkey’s very valuable ‘treasure,’ that is, its status as ‘a country which can harmonize Islam and modern political values.’ Elekdag emphasized that the world needs such a model. The AKP’s role is especially important in this. If one reason for the positive winds in the economy and foreign politics is Turkey’s newfound stability with the prospect of one-party rule, the other reason is that the AKP is a party ‘which can harmonize Islam and modern political values.’ Turkey should use this ‘treasure’ in the best way possible so our path to the EU will be opened wide. The AKP bears a great responsibility. I hope the new Parliament and new government will work in Turkey’s favor.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION