CHP’S TOPUZ: PREMIER REACTING UNDER PRESSURE

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 27 2007

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy group leader
Ali Topuz yesterday claimed that the Justice and Development (AK)
Party has one expectation from this Parliament and that is to elect
a president though fait accompli.

He evaluated the premier’s response to a leak of a National Security
Council (MGK) presentation on documents and files regarding the
terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) activities to the media.

The premier accused those who leaked the news of treason, to which
Topuz responded, "I think Erdogan can’t hold his nerves these days.

The presidential and general elections issues, rumors of early
elections and such debates are disturbing Erdogan and sometimes this
causes him to overreact."

"The MGK meetings are in closed sessions. We have to decide on how to
describe such information leaks. We have to decide whether to react
to this as treason or explaining confidential information," he added.

He argued, "It’s not easy to accuse someone of treason and this is
acting imprudently. From this perspective we can target the prime
minister with the same accusation on numerous topics. It is illogical
to relate treason with informing the public that the PKK was supported
by northern Iraqi leaders."

Topuz claimed that both the U.S. and the Iraqi administration are
using the PKK as a weapon against Turkey. "Both the premier and the
government are weak and cannot resist such policies. Thus, the U.S.
administers Turkey the way they want," he said.

He warned against a separate state in northern Iraq, saying, "It is
imaginative to think this state would be more friendly than Armenia.

Besides, Turkey’s unity is threatened by two factors. One is Armenia
and the other is a possible separate state in northern Iraq."