Zaman Online, Turkey
09.16.2006 Saturday – ISTANBUL 16:55
Erdogan: More Corruption Cases will be Uncovered
By Abdulhamit Yildiz, Istanbul
Friday, September 15, 2006
zaman.com
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to criticisms of his
administration and party at an assembly at the Istanbul Chamber of
Commerce.
Indicating that they had eliminated most of Turkey’s `exploitative
corruption,’ Erdogan said, `That’s why there’s an uproar; there are
more corruption cases to come.’
Referring to the soldiers killed in terrorist attacks in southeastern
Turkey, the prime minister stated, `This country belongs to all of us,
our hearts ache when innocent and gentle people are killed, especially
when the deaths are a result of attacks against our army and
soldiers. It is certainly distressing when these events are
exploited. Martyrs are not an agent for exploitation. Their status is
unique.’
Erdogan emphasized that no one should expect the ports and airports of
the Turkish Republic of Cypress to be opened until the embargo on
Cypress’s Turkish side was lifted.
`When the time came, we hit the table with our fist and got up. `Sir,
the negotiations have ended.’ Excuse me, but it’s up to them. If 24
countries are going to sacrifice a country of 73 million to a nation
with a population of 650,000, that’s their decision,’ Erdogan said to
the E.U.
Concerning the Armenian issue, the prime minister said: `We will
pursue our struggle on this matter to the end. They are claiming that
our ancestors were guilty. These are just stories. My ancestors were
raised with Islam. They never did nor never would perpetrate genocide
on people under their rule.’
Evaluating economic developments, Erdogan reacted negatively to those
who labeled Turkey’s growth as virtual.
Noting that actual growth occurred for four and a half consecutive
years and that it would attain the targeted 5 percent, the prime
minister termed the addition of zeroes to the Turkish lira in previous
periods as `modern theft.’
No Province has Been Neglected
In his three and a half years as prime minister, Erdogan said he had
crossed Turkey’s 81 provinces at least twice, and that there had been
no other prime minister in the history of the Republic who had done
this in the same period of time, and that this had been his kismet
[destiny].
He said, `We have investments and operations in every province and
these are going to continue at the same speed. There is no province
where `not even a nail has been hammered.’ No province has been
neglected.’
President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Murat Yalcintas, said
that unemployment, Turkey’s biggest economic problem, would be
resolved by giving priority to vocational education.
Assembly Chairman Muharrem Keceli pointed out that it was Erdogan’s
right to be elected the president of Turkey in the next election.