Separation of powers an obstacle, says Erdoğan

KONYA - Hürriyet Daily News

Prime Minister Erdoğan’s criticism of Turkey’s separation of powers are seen as a clear reference to his party’s offer to create a powerful presidential post. Daily News Photo/Selahattin Sönmez

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described the separation of powers as the government's main obstacle, saying it was preventing them from introducing “further services.”

“Even during our own governing tenure, we are having some troubles. Unfortunately, the errors within the system are the causes of those troubles. Since the system was built the wrong way, we are facing some unexpected troubles. Bureaucracy blocks our path or we face the judiciary unexpectedly,” Erdoğan said on Dec. 17 in a speech delivered at the 2012 Economy Awards Ceremony in the Central Anatolian city of Konya. “The legislature, the executive and the judiciary should pursue the people’s interest initially, and then should consider the state’s interest.”

His remarks were an apparent reference to his party’s proposal for a presidential system to replace Turkey’s parliamentary system. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) recently suggested a “Turkified version of the U.S. executive system” for Turkey during debates at the charter panel, preserving the unitary structure with a single Parliament and giving extraordinary authority to the president.

While explaining services introduced to the city and the government’s economic success, Erdoğan complained of the “bureaucratic oligarchy.”

Prime Minister Erdoğan noted the “city hospitals project,” which he said had been under consideration for six years. They still had not been able to implement it because of “bureaucratic oligarchy and the judiciary,” Erdoğan said.

Economy awards

Konya’s highest individual and corporate taxpayers as well as export champions received their awards from Erdoğan at the ceremony yesterday. The 2012 Konya Economy Awards ceremony also offered yet another opportunity to Erdoğan to elaborate on the economic impacts of the anti-democratic movements.

Although having remained an idea only, the annual cost of the April 27, 2007 e-memorandum with interest was $2 billion, Erdoğan said in his speech at the ceremony. The cost of the army led-campaign of Feb. 28, 1997 was between 100 billion and 250 billion Turkish Liras, he added.

“The post-modern coup” of Feb. 28, 1997 refers to the harsh, army-led campaign that forced Turkey’s first Islamist prime minister, the late Necmettin Erbakan, to resign in June 1997.

Alluding to companies established with Islamic capital, Erdoğan said that companies in Konya were treated like stepchildren during the Feb. 28 process.

The premier praised Konya’s economic successes despite the Feb. 28 process, and said the Central Anatolian city had become a considerable industrial and trade center “with its own means.”