‘People’s alliance focused on earthquake relief not political plays’: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the ruling People’s Alliance remains focused on earthquake relief and healing the wounds of victims and not on the political plays of the opposition alliance.

“We have determined our path and continue to work accordingly, irrespective of what they [the opposition] are trying to do,” Erdoğan told reporters over the weekend. 

Erdoğan, who is also chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), said they have decided not to make further comments about the departure of İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener from the opposition Nation Alliance.

“We will make our own assessment as the People’s Alliance once the opposition ends its ongoing blame game. As the AK Party, we will elaborate on the process in our Central Decision-Making Board meeting. We will give our decision afterward,” Erdoğan said, implying that they have no intention to accept the İYİ Party as the new member of the People Alliance for the time being.

Recalling that he has always been saying that the opposition alliance will not last long, Erdoğan said: “We had already said months ago. Remember? We said the famous phrase of Iranians, ‘They sat, they talked, they fell apart.’”

Contrary to the opposition, the government is heavily focused on the earthquake and how the wounds can be healed, Erdoğan stated, recalling he convened a comprehensive meeting with the participation of 110 scientists for building a national risk shield model to protect the country from natural disasters and other threats.

Erdoğan is the joint candidate of the People Alliance comprising the AKP, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Great Union Party (BBP).