President Gül enjoys popular interest in eastern provinces

BİNGÖL

President Abdullah Gül greets citizens in his visit to eastern province of Bingöl, where he was warmly welcomed.

Great public interest marked Turkish President Abdullah Gül’s visit to the eastern provinces as crowds gathered to see him in Bingöl on April 19, one day after his visit to Muş, which had witnessed its first presidential visit in 19 years.

The ongoing initiative to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue was once again the president’s hot topic, as he said he was happy see the brotherhood of the people.

“Bingöl has always been loyal to the state and nation, which has common sense but also has defended freedoms and democracy. You have a point to feel great pride about this,” he said, addressing the citizens in front of the governor’s office. “Great hopes accompany the spring weather across the country,” Anatolia news agency quoted him as saying. “Turkey is becoming more powerful, and it is developing.”

Noting that he was born in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri, Gül said people did not have the chance to pick their birthplaces. “One cannot pick to be Turkish, Kurdish or Zaza,” he said. “But we are all loyal citizens of the Turkish Republic.”

Recent efforts should be closely watched, Gül said, calling for contributions. Gül and accompanying Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz also were the wedding witnesses of a young couple after an earlier e-mail request when the president’s visit to the city had been announced. This was the wedding surprise of groom Sedat Çağatay for bride Hülya Polat, daily Hürriyet said on its website.Later Gül did his Friday prayer at the Ulu Mosque in the city before enjoying tea with citizens at a local teahouse.