The ruling AK Party responded to the recent criticisms of the head of Nationalist MHP, Devlet Bahceli. Bahceli had said that the AK Party was damaging the unity and solidarity of Turkey by emphasizing the differences in the population. In a recent statement, AK Party stated that democracy considered the differences as richness and it was MHP who was encouraging separatism because it ignored the differences.
The AKP representatives blamed Bahceli for trying to preserve the status quo and for encouraging an attitude that rendered the powerful justice rather that rendering power to the just. Referring to the recent crisis in the judiciary, they said that the AKP government has considered fulfilling the needs of the judiciary as a priority and responded to these needs urgently. They emphasized that it was not enough that the judiciary was independent, it should also be impartial.
The AKP representatives also said that calling for early elections became a classic for the opposition. They stated that during the AK Party period Turkey learned to have elections on time. They argued that it is the nation who gave the AKP legitimacy and power.
Source: ntvmsnbc, cnnturk (Turkey), February 20, 2010
