Misunderstandings will be resolved through ‘dialogue among brothers,’ says PM Erdoğan

ANKARA

Misunderstandings should be solved with dialogue, Erdoğan (C) says, obliquely referring to Arınç (R). DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ

Misunderstandings should be resolved through “internal dialogue” within the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, in an apparent reference to latest row between himself and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç.

“Misunderstandings are possible between comrades and such misunderstandings shall be resolved and without letting ill-intended parties exploit this,” Erdoğan said.

“There may have been misunderstandings, miscommunications. But, as a requirement of the joinder of parties, a requirement of the law of brotherhood, we discuss matters among us and settle the issue,” he added, without openly mentioning Arınç’s name.

“We have been doing this since Aug. 14, 2001. As far as possible, we have discussed every issue among ourselves … There is no question. We will discuss every matter and come up with the solution among ourselves. We’ll not give the opportunity to those lurking. I believe that every friend and brother of mine in the party will act with this responsibility, and they will not make the enemy happy,” Erdoğan stated.

His remarks came during his weekly address at a parliamentary group meeting, which was not attended by Arınç. A Cabinet meeting was not held on Nov. 10 either, therefore Arınç did not take the podium as the government spokesperson as usual.

“Let us discuss those issues among ourselves,” Erdoğan said after the group meeting, in reply to a question as to whether or not he had held a meeting with Arınç.

Some observers have suggested that the prime minister’s speech indicated that Arınç was on the verge of resignation from his post, and that Erdoğan was actually trying to persuade his deputy not to do so.

Sources told the Hürriyet Daily News that Arınç did not participate at the meeting because he had “another appointment.” He was paying a courtesy visit to Navy commanders, and this visit took longer than expected, so he watched the rest of the group meeting on TV in his room in order not to disturb the gathering, they added.

While appealing to Arınç to resolve the issue through dialogue, Erdoğan also stood firm behind his stance concerning co-ed student accommodations. Again, without openly naming the issue, he said this stance was a requirement of their party’s “conservative and democratic” identity, which serves the normalization of the country.

“We don’t impose values as they did for 200 years … But, we won’t abandon our conservative or democratic identity, just because some are not pleased,” he said.

The AKP has a say as a conservative party, but in the end has to implement what “the Constitution, the laws, and the nation says,” Erdoğan added.

He said some circles were expecting the AKP to divide and sow discord among itself, but the party would never let this happen.