BAYKAL LOSES VICE-CHAIR OF SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL TO TALABANI

Turkish Daily News
Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was elected to a vice-chairmanship in
the Socialist International over the leader of the main opposition
Republican People’s Party, or CHP, who avoided attending the summit
in Greece and therefore was not nominated, reported the Anatolia news
agency yesterday.

Greece’s Panhellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, leader George
Papandreou was re-elected chairman of the Socialist International,
while the number of vice-chairpersons rose to 37 from 30, including
Talabani and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

The CHP’s Deniz Baykal, who formerly served as a vice-chairman, was
not included this time on the list fixed by the election committee
of the Socialist International.

The party is currently facing criticism from members of the socialist
community, who accuse the CHP of no longer representing social
democratic interests and who demand the party be expelled from the
socialist community.

Meanwhile, Anatolia reported that the ethics committee of the Socialist
International has not yet made a decision regarding the fate of
the CHP under the umbrella organization. Turkish press reports said
yesterday that the ethics committee decided to dispatch a four-member
delegation to Turkey to investigate the allegations that the CHP is
anti-democratic. The delegation will travel to Turkey in late summer
and research whether the CHP complies with the principles of the
Socialist International, said the reports.

In an address to his lawmakers in Parliament, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said that Baykal could not attend the Socialist
International meeting and instead had to join a mulberry festival
in Turkey.

"The reactions to the CHP from the world are very meaningful,"
said Erdogan. "Their doors are closed both to the East and to the
West. They are not aware that they imprisoned themselves behind
the iron curtain understanding. Baykal cannot attend the Socialist
International (meeting). Why not?"

He said none of the existing 185 political parties in the world shared
the same views with the CHP and none resisted democracy or freedoms.

In response, Baykal said Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development
Party, or AKP, was not accepted by any international organizations,
though it wanted to join. "Everything is obvious; we did not attend
[the Socialist International meeting] and risked dismissal," he added.

Baykal also heralded that the CHP would open bureaus in the European
capitals in the upcoming days, not to receive instructions from
Europeans but to explain party policies and the importance of the
secularism principle for Turkey.

Meanwhile, the consultative membership of the Turkish Cypriot
Republican Turks’ Party, or CTP, in the Socialist International
was delayed after protests from Greek Cypriot and Armenian social
democrats.