New party heads for Turkey victory

[nairi]

"AKP indicates improving relations with neighbors but does not make any

statement on Armenia, the country that Turkey has no relations with at all."

- TDN, Oct 27 2002

 

New party heads for Turkey victory

 

BBC NEWS

Sunday, 3 November, 2002, 21:08 GMT

 

The first results in Turkey's parliamentary elections show that the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party (AK) has taken an early lead.

 

With nearly 50% of the ballots counted, the recently-founded AK party has more than 34% of the vote - enough to give it an overall majority in parliament.

 

Turkey's outgoing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has conceded defeat, saying he was not surprised by the result of the poll in which his Democratic Left Party is reported to have obtained only 1% of the vote.

 

AK's nearest rival, the staunchly secular Republican People's Party - Turkey's oldest party - has 19% of the vote.

 

None of the three parties of the ruling coalition appear to have crossed the required threshold of a 10% share of the vote to get into parliament.

 

Political stability

 

Many Turks blame the government for the economic crisis of the past two years.

 

Analysts say popular disillusionment with policies of the well-established parties, their bickering and even corruption, appears to be turning voters away from them in droves.

 

Elections were called 18 months early after the coalition government collapsed due to bitter in-fighting and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's long illness. Mr Ecevit is now retiring.

 

AK, which says is has severed links with Islamic militancy, is facing pressure to maintain Turkey's pro-Western policies, including entry into the European Union.

 

Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his party will adhere to the secular principles laid town in the Turkish constitution.

 

"[AK] is determined to accelerate Turkey's EU membership process and to implement an economic programme to speed up Turkey's integration with the world," Mr Erdogan said as the results were coming in.

 

However BBC correspondents say it will also have to placate its members, many of whom wish for the party to maintain its Islamic roots.

 

Erdogan's legal woes

 

Deputy party head Abdullah Gul said that, based on the numbers coming in, they would most likely form a government on their own.

 

But analysts say the party has first to overcome the legal obstacles in its way.

 

The state prosecutor tried to ban Recep Tayyip Erdogan from campaigning as party leader because an earlier conviction for inciting religious hatred meant that he should have stepped down from his party posts.

 

Mr Erdogan refused to name another party leader and spearheaded AK's campaign.

 

The case will be heard by the Constitutional Court in two weeks time.

 

If AK wins, the legal tangle could prevent Mr Erdogan from becoming prime minister.

[nairi]

BBC Talking Point:

 

Turkish elections: How important are they?

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/2384205.stm

 

No mention of Armenia has been made yet. You can leave a message on the above link (but please mind your language, try to be short, to the point and coherent!).

 

Nairi

[nairi]

I don't know how many of you sent messages to Talking Point, but nothing about (Turkey's policy toward) Armenia(ns) has been published yet. In fact, no Armenian seems to have replied. I've sent three different messages already, and they all seem to be inappropriate.

 

What's going on??

[joseph]

The question is not if they can form a goverment on their own , the question is how long before the " JUNTA " intervenes and toppels them , you know it will be buisnes as usual , They will do somthing that the " JUNTA " will percieve unexepteble and walla they are gone . Hey lets wait and see what the so called " constitutional court " will decide , they might not even have the chance to form a goverment .