Erdoğan: I Think There is a Misunderstanding

* Photograph: Murat Kula / Anadolu Agency

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President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered the questions of journalists after the Eid prayer in Grand Çamlıca Mosque in İstanbul today (June 4).

Erdoğan stated that they would not take a step back in purchasing S-400 defense missile system from Russia.

"I think there is a misunderstanding. We appealed to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) as a precaution", he further stated regarding the recent YSK ruling on district election council chairs and electoral directors in İstanbul.

As it was reported in the news yesterday, in response to a petition submitted by the Şişli 1st District Election Council, the YSK has ruled that the district election council chairs and electoral directors, who were on duty in March 31 local elections and were investigated for having formed the balloting committees in an unlawful manner, are eligible to be on duty in repeat Metropolitan Mayoral elections in İstanbul on June 23.

While the unlawful formation of the balloting committees was cited as a reason for the annulment of İstanbul Metropolitan Mayoral elections in the justified ruling of the YSK dated May 22, the ruling AKP appealed against the latest ruling of the Council yesterday.

The YSK ruling on election council chairs

Some highlights from Erdoğan's speech were as follows:

"I think there is a misunderstanding, it has not yet become clear. We, as a party, still appealed to the YSK against all these as a precaution. Some of them refer to balloting committees. It has nothing to do with balloting committees. It applies to election councils and the YSK will give its ruling in response to this appeal. We hope that the result will be beneficial.

Purchase of S-400s from Russia

"There is a deal that we made, there is our determination. It is not the case that we will take a step back from here.

"If we receive a positive offer like the one we received from Russia, we can take a step for Patriots. We told it to them as well. But, unlike the S-400s, we unfortunately received no positive offers from the US for Patriots.

"In international trade, every country follows the win-win principle as required by their interests. When the opposite is the case, then, we are not in any way obliged or obligated to purchase anything.

"We, as Turkey, continue meeting with every country which has an interest in Syria, Idlib, Menbic, the east of Euphrates and in the corridor that you know. Our sensitivities continue with the same determination and they will also continue in the upcoming period." (AÖ/SD)