Erdoğan urges AKP grassroots to reinstate splinters

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 1 called on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) grassroots to make efforts for reinstating the estranged party members.

“Let us recruit our friends who have been separated from our party due to any reason,” Erdoğan said, virtually addressing the provincial meetings of the AKP in Adana, Antalya, Muğla and Bursa.

“We will try to make friends. We will not lose. We will regain. In this respect, we see our great congress process as an opportunity,” Erdoğan added.

There is a place in the AKP, which has nearly 11.5 million members, for everyone who says, “nation first, country first,” Erdoğan said.

“We do not marginalize anyone, and we do not judge anyone. We respect everyone’s opinion as long as they do not get involved in terrorism, immorality, perversion and violence,” he added.

The nation still sees its future in the AKP and the People’s Alliance, Erdoğan said, noting that despite the pandemic, his party registered more than 1.3 million new members the past year, and more than half of this figure was composed of young people between the ages of 18 and 35.

He called on the AKP members to register 1.3 million more people until the congress of the party.

Erdoğan also slammed the Republican People’s Party (CHP) for blaming the AKP over its internal rows after three members of the opposition party quitted.

“They attack us and the AKP every day with lies in order to cover the rush of harassment, rape and theft that surround their organization,” Erdoğan stated.

“Now they target us because of the resignations in their parties,” he added.

Three lawmakers from the CHP have resigned from the party after a disagreement with CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu over the direction and management of the party. Hüseyin Avni Aksoy MP from Karabük, Mehmet Ali Çelebi MP from İzmir and Özcan Özer MP from Yalova resigned from the CHP on Jan. 29.

“If you ask anyone, they will say that there is only a name similarity between [founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk’s CHP and Kılıçdaroğlu’s CHP. Even if you try to hide it, the people see with whom you are walking and which dirty bargains you make,” the president said.

“I am saying very clearly, as a party, we are very satisfied with the current CHP administration. We are also pleased with this CHP leader who blunders out every week. Our concern is on behalf of our country. Our problem is on behalf of our democracy and Turkish politics,” Erdoğan stated.