Hüseyin Çelik, Chief Advisor of Justice and Development Party (AKP) Leader, mentioned about possibility of coalition with Republican People’s Party (CHP) and resolution process during coalition negotiations statement of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.
Hüseyin Çelik told Cansu Çamlıbel from Hürriyet Daily stated they ‘got better’ with CHP than other political parties:
“It provides 390 deputies and majority as 66%. I think it is sustainable with a good coalition protocol.”
“Party alignments are close to MHP”
“Even though our party alignments imply AKP-Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) coalition can be better, I think coalition with CHP is sustainable. My reason is that political parties sharing close party alignments don’t get along well.”
“We have seen the examples of them. True Path Party (DYP)-Motherland Party (ANAP) coalition was over in the blink of an eye. However, DYP-Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) coalition continued in spite of some difficulties.”
“There should be tolerance unless a coalition protocol is prepared and a government is formed. I’m actually prudentially optimistic.”
“Party alignments didn’t understand the presidential system”
Hüseyin Çelik answered the questions of journalist Çamlıbel related to mistakes of AKP:
“Some say there is inappropriateness. We should reconsider our deputy names. This is one of the important factors. Some of our party communities may have lulled. Three-term rule is wrong in my opinion, I told this.”
“Our party alignments didn’t understand the presidential system properly and we couldn’t get what we wanted. Also, it caused some worries since some words were perverted.”
“Kobane talks were perverted”
Chief Advisor Çelik interpreted the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan remarks related to Kobane:
“The President told 'Kobane is falling down' on October 7, 2014 in Gaziantep province, in south-central Turkey. They reflected his remarks as if it was a pleasure, a gladness of Erdoğan to our Kurdish citizens. His remarks were perverted. Actually, the President shared his sadness but they reflected it as a hostility against Kurds in Kobane.”
Resolution process and the election
“4,5% of the AKP’s votes were shifted to Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). It results in 9%.”
“Resolution process started with AKP’s willpower. In 2005, we went to Diyarbakır province, in Southeastern Turkey with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said 'Kurdish problem is my problem.' Whenever we make a stride about resolution process, PKK, its extensions and Civil Society Organizations protested it.
“Some people voted for HDP by their own will. Some perceived the PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan as their leader. Other were threatened and blackmailed. However, our friends may also misspeak. We may have chosen wrong names for deputy list."
Public meetings of the President
Çelik stated AKP lost some of its votes due to public meetings of the President:
“The President is a person chosen by the people. No one can say to the President ‘You cannot be in the squares, you cannot participate in opening ceremonies.’ However, it wasn’t good for AKP to be in those squares and participate in those ceremonies according to the public opinion.” (AS/BD)
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