 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. AP photo |
All the members of Turkey’s ethnic and religious groups are “first-class citizens,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during Tuesday parliamentary group meetings while also criticizing the country’s main pro-Kurdish party.
“Our country has many ethnic components. We see this as richness. We said we would not practice ethnic, regional or religious nationalism. There are those who mock us, but we see them as sub-identities that unite,” said Erdoğan.
“[All groups] are first-class citizens of Turkey,” the prime minister said. “I am not trying to garner votes. I grew up with Roma in the same neighborhood.”
“Whether [in the numerical] minority or the majority, every one of our 73 million citizens is an individual and is equal,” he said.
The southeastern region of Turkey will have everything the west has, the AKP leader said. “This is what we are fighting for.”
Erdoğan, however, also criticized the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP.
“The BDP is a political structure created by the [Kurdish] problem. Therefore, they do not want a solution to the problem, because they know that they will lose votes if that happens,” said Erdoğan, adding that the BDP was trying all avenues to prevent a solution to the problem.
“The BDP is not a representative of my Kurdish citizens. Those who follow the east and southeast of Turkey via the BDP will be misled. Go and see for yourself the portrait of peace and brotherhood there,” he said.
The meeting began with tension when a guest Temel Yürekli refused to leave his seat in the section reserved for deputies. The guest was then physically removed by security before Erdoğan arrived.
Erdoğan took the podium with a road map of Turkey, detailing every place he visited with the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and also highlighting advances in transportation the country has undergone.
“They talk about corruption. What a shame. If there was corruption, then how did we fund the 12,300 kilometers of new roads? What did we use to build airport runways, dams and classrooms?” asked Erdoğan.
“We built dorms with over 60,000 beds. Is it enough? No. We have other construction projects under way,” he said.
“As Turkey’s economic pool strengthens, you should know that what comes from the people goes back to the people,” the prime minister also said.
“Our country has many ethnic components. We see this as richness. We said we would not practice ethnic, regional or religious nationalism. There are those who mock us, but we see them as sub-identities that unite,” said Erdoğan.
“[All groups] are first-class citizens of Turkey,” the prime minister said. “I am not trying to garner votes. I grew up with Roma in the same neighborhood.”
“Whether [in the numerical] minority or the majority, every one of our 73 million citizens is an individual and is equal,” he said.
The southeastern region of Turkey will have everything the west has, the AKP leader said. “This is what we are fighting for.”
Erdoğan, however, also criticized the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP.
“The BDP is a political structure created by the [Kurdish] problem. Therefore, they do not want a solution to the problem, because they know that they will lose votes if that happens,” said Erdoğan, adding that the BDP was trying all avenues to prevent a solution to the problem.
“The BDP is not a representative of my Kurdish citizens. Those who follow the east and southeast of Turkey via the BDP will be misled. Go and see for yourself the portrait of peace and brotherhood there,” he said.
The meeting began with tension when a guest Temel Yürekli refused to leave his seat in the section reserved for deputies. The guest was then physically removed by security before Erdoğan arrived.
Erdoğan took the podium with a road map of Turkey, detailing every place he visited with the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and also highlighting advances in transportation the country has undergone.
“They talk about corruption. What a shame. If there was corruption, then how did we fund the 12,300 kilometers of new roads? What did we use to build airport runways, dams and classrooms?” asked Erdoğan.
“We built dorms with over 60,000 beds. Is it enough? No. We have other construction projects under way,” he said.
“As Turkey’s economic pool strengthens, you should know that what comes from the people goes back to the people,” the prime minister also said.
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