PM talks peace process with deputies from east

ANKARA

Justice and Democracy Party (AKP) deputies from Turkey’s eastern regions affirmed their support yesterday for the ongoing peace process on the Kurdish issue during a meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.

“We see that our party branches in the eastern and southeastern [provinces of Turkey] have a positive stance on the [peace] process,” Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay told reporters yesterday.
“Our party branches have relayed messages of support from the region,” he added. Erdoğan also gave the deputies tactical advice about how to approach next year’s local elections, Atalay said. 

Visit region once a week, PM tells deputies
The prime minister told the deputies to listen to the problems of the people in the region once a week, according to Atalay. The prime minister will also hold similar meetings with deputies from other regions of Turkey, the deputy prime minister said.

Erdoğan asked the deputies to tell the people of the region about the work done, investments they have made and the sincerity of the government about the peace process, sources told the Hürriyet Daily News. Erdoğan also told the deputies to convince the people in the region to move away from the PKK. The prime minister rebuked some circles for reacting “as if those investments were done on demand” of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to sources. Deputies told Erdoğan that the people in the region also supported the new peace process.

On the other hand, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) assigned former deputy Abdülmüttalip Özbek as the provincial chairman to Hakkari. The AKP was unable to run a deputy in the latest elections in southeastern Hakkari. The AKP wanted to raise its flag in the city on an order from Erdoğan, sources told the Daily News received.