'Refugee flood' 'a near existential threat to Europe': Kerry.

'Refugee flood' 'a near existential threat to Europe': Kerry. (DS).

MUNICH, Germany: The mass influx of refugees and other migrants into Europe spells a "near existential threat" to the continent, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday.

"We are facing the gravest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II," he said at the Munich Security Conference, which has been dominated by the Syrian conflict which is driving the mass flight.

"The United States understands the near existential nature of this threat to the politics and fabric of life in Europe," he told the meeting.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Saturday that the view in Paris is "not favorable" to Berlin's call for a permanent quota system to distribute more refugees across the EU, adding that France had already agreed to take in 30,000 refugees.

Kerry said about the refugee influx: "We are not saying, 'This is your problem, not ours'. This is our problem."

"And that is why we are joining now and enforcing a NATO mission to close off a key access route," he said of an alliance naval surveillance mission off Turkey and Greece.

"And we will join you in other ways to stem this tide because of the potential of its damage to the fabric of a united Europe," said Kerry.  Hmmmm.........A hardly mentioned fact is that the *Immigration minister of Germany is a TURKISH descent Moslima.....I can't help wondering if she's close to Erdogan's AKP party. Read the full story here.

*  Her brothers Yavuz Özoğuz and Gürhan Özoğuz, both staunch and avowed admirers of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hizballah, run the Islamist internet site Muslim-Markt. Aydan Özoğuz distanced herself from her brothers on their radical Islamist viewpoints in a newspaper interview in October 2011

Taking down 'Ataturk's legacy' - Turkey’s top court rules security cannot ask covered women to remove coat.

“Thank God Almighty,” said Mr. Erdogan in 1994, when he was the mayor of Istanbul. “I am a servant of Shariah.” 

Taking down 'Ataturk's legacy' - Turkey’s top court rules security cannot ask covered women to remove coat. (BGNews).


Turkey’s Constitutional Court has ruled that asking headscarved women to take off their topcoats while entering a public legal institution is a violation of religious freedom.

Esma Nur Özbey filed a lawsuit after she was denied access to Istanbul’s Bakırköy Courthouse in January 2013 when she refused security guards’ request she take off her topcoat while passing through the electromagnetic security checkpoint. Her attempt to sue the guards on the grounds they had insulted her was rejected by the courts.

Özbey then appealed to the Constitutional Court claiming her religious freedom had been violated. The Constitutional Court ruled unanimously on Monday that Özbey’s freedom of religion and conscience, secured in Article 24 of the constitution, had in fact been violated.

The court noted that wearing a topcoat and her refusal to remove it are practices required by Islam, “There is a direct link between the plaintiff’s religious beliefs and her refusal to take off her clothing. For this reason, there is a need to accept that the applicant’s freedom of religion and conscience was interfered with.”

The ruling also noted that both administrative and legal officials had failed to fully explain why and how security would be jeopardized if Özbey didn’t take off her coat.

The court ruled that the plaintiff receive TRY 3,000 (USD 1,076) in damages for emotional distress.

'Transparent' Turkish AK Party has destroyed 2 truckloads of documents since election.

'Transparent' Turkish AK Party has destroyed 2 truckloads of documents since election.(TZ).

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has destroyed two truckloads of official documents since it lost its overall majority in Parliament for the first time in 13 years in the June 7 general election, according to a report in the Taraf daily.

The report, published on Monday, claims that sources within the civil service told Taraf that, following June 7, the AK Party ordered civil servants to destroy official documents such as those pertaining to discretionary fund expenditures and documents profiling dissenters, which could implicate AK Party officials if a coalition is unable to be formed or if the AK Party falls from grace in a snap election.

The report also claims that official papers pertaining to expenditures by the Prime Ministry via the discretionary fund have been destroyed and that most of the destruction has been done in the Prime Ministry and its lower departments. In addition, the report said that mail pertaining to exceptional appointments to certain government posts by direct ministerial authorization have been destroyed to prevent any possible liability.

Taraf's report states that the go-ahead for the eradication of documents, which the AK Party has labeled a “clean-up,” came on June 8 -- one day after the AK Party lost its single-party majority but continued to command a presence within the ministries. Some of the destroyed documents are said to be concerned with the recruitment process to the civil service, in which acts of nepotism and favoritism by the AK Party were reported earlier this year.

There have been claims that, when it was in power, the AK Party appointed its own partisans to public offices to ensure that the party's brand of Islamist political ideology would become dominant within the government bureaucracy. Hmmm.....How many Billions went to terrorism from the PM's discretionary fund? Read the full story here.

Related:   Turkish pres Erdoğan has spend $2,88 Billion to finance covert operations during his time as Turkish PM

  2,72 Billion Dollars used by Erdoğan from 'discretionary funds’

If coalition government formed in Turkey, it is likely to be weak and short lived, expert says.

If coalition government formed in Turkey, it is likely to be weak and short lived, expert says. (Taz).

Early parliamentary election in Turkey is quite likely, Paul Levin, director at Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies (SUITS) told Trend.

Turkey held parliamentary election June 7, involving 20 political parties. As many as 53,765,231 people took part in the voting. As a result, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) gathered 40.9 percent of votes, Republican People's Party (CHP) – 25 percent, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) – 16.3 percent, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) – 13.1 percent. Thus, the Justice and Development Party won’t be able to form a government by its own.

“Right now, there seems to be no possibility for any majority coalition, so either something has to give, or there will be an early election after the 45 days allotted for the forming of a government have expired,” said the expert.


Levin added that all three opposition parties have rejected the possibility of joining a coalition led by the Justice and Development Party.

Levin added that even if a coalition government is formed, it is likely to be a weak government and therefore, early election would remain a possibility.

If the Justice and Development Party can manage to gain the support of the pro-Kurdish HDP, they could continue the peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Peoples’ Party (PKK), according to the expert.

If the Justice and Development Party on the other hand turns to the Nationalist Movement Party for support, the peace process will take a serious blow from which it may not recover, Levin added.


“But both of these alternatives would require a complete reversal from the respective party leaderships, so they are far from likely,” the expert said. Hmmm.......I hate when i'm right.

Related: 'Islamist' Turkey - The Day after the elections - Will Erdogan organize new elections next year as promised?

Former head of the OIC Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was elected to the Turkish parliament.

Former head of the OIC Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was elected to the Parliament of Turkey.(Taz).

The former head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was elected to the Turkish parliament.

Ihsanoglu ran from the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

According to preliminary data Turkey's ruling party won 40.95% of the vote.

Republican People's Party (CHP) won 25.1%, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) - 16.8%, and the Democratic People's Party (HDP) - 11.7% of the vote.

Other political parties as a whole gained 4.5% of votes.



During the parliamentary election held in Turkey in 2011, the ruling Justice and Development Party gained 46.66 percent of the vote. Some 20.85 percent of the votes went to the Republican People’s Party (CHP), and 14.29 percent of the votes were gathered by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

'Islamist' Turkey - The Day after the elections - Will Erdogan organize new elections next year as promised?

'Islamist' Turkey - The Day after the elections - Will Erdogan organize new elections next year? (MFS).

Flashback May 01 2015.

Turkish President Erdoğan’s adviser Binali Yıldırım said that if the ruling AK Party doesn't win a majority in Parliament in the upcoming election on June 7, it will simply establish a minority government and hold another general election within a year.

'If AKP doesn’t win upcoming election, it will hold another election.'

“I don’t see much chance of a coalition,” said Yıldırım speaking to reporters on Friday, “Theoretically, even if such an outcome were to happen, the AK Party would just establish a minority government and another election would be held within a year.” Hmmm......Something tells me all his 'Buddies' ....The Sultan of Qatar and Obama will come to his rescue.Read the full story here.


Update confirmation of above post!

Turkish ruling AKP official sees minority government, early election.

A senior official from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said on Sunday initial parliamentary election results suggested the party may be forced to form a minority government and that an early election could be on the cards.

"We expect a minority government and early election," the senior official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

With almost 91 percent of ballots counted, the AK Party has won 40.6 percent of the vote.

PS: 

If the opposition parties fail to form a coalition government within 45 days, Erdoğan has the constitutional power to hold another election. We may then be faced with the danger of the AKP winning that election big by claiming that the opposition parties have proven unable to govern. Source.

'Islamist' Turkey - Armenian orphanage’s ownership deed false return claim, turns into election ruse.

'Islamist' Turkey - Armenian orphanage’s ownership deed false return claim, turns into election ruse. (TZ).

The Nor Zartonk, a civil society group representing Turkey's Armenian community, condemned false reports that the deed for a former Armenian orphanage widely referred to as Camp Armen has been returned to the Gedikpaşa Armenian Proestant Church Foundation and called the false reports a ploy for votes in the run-up to Sunday's election during a press conference held in İstanbul on Thursday morning.

Thursday marked the 30th day of Nor Zartonk's occupation of the land in an effort to prevent the demolition of the camp, preserve its historic symbolism and protest the continuation of the unjust seizure of property from minorities by the state. The camp was opened by the Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation in 1963 and built in part by the camp's orphans. A high court ruling issued in 1974 stated that "minority foundations cannot own property." 

 In 1983, the camp was closed and the deed to the land was returned to its former owner, despite legal action taken by the Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church, which owned and operated the camp, to prevent its closure. The ownership of the land has since changed hands several times.

“We are in the 30th day of our Camp Armen resistance, and we wanted to share [our experiences] of these 30 days, for there have been several false reports circulating in the media regarding the camp. […] It's unfortunate but some of these lies are being produced in an effort to win votes [for the upcoming June 7 general election], and this includes Armenian media outlets. 

To gain these votes, there are reports being produced stating that the deed to the camp has been returned to the Gedikpaşa foundation, but unfortunately, this is not true,” said Sayat Tekir, spokesperson for Nor Zartonk, during Thursday's meeting.


What Tekir was referring to was the latest issue of Paros monthly magazine, an İstanbul-based magazine that focuses on the local Armenian community. 

The magazine published an article about the camp with the headline, “Camp Armen has been returned to the foundation” on one page and a full page ad for Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy candidate Markar Esayan, who is also a prominent columnist of Armenian descent, on the adjacent page.

In addition to falsely stating that the title to the property had been returned to the foundation, the article described Esayan as “the one who has undertaken the coordination for the Armenian orphanage to be returned to the foundation,” portraying Esayan as being at the forefront of the resistance to the demolition.

The members of Nor Zartonk openly criticize Esayan for using the Camp Armen resistance to promote the AK Party. Hmmm.........OMG Islamist would lie? Read the full story here.

Turkish Whistle blower exposes list of pro-gov’t polling clerks to be involved in election fraud

LOL, u're so funny "@DailySabah: #Turkey's elec watchdog: Vote rigging impossible no trouble about election security pic.twitter.com/YTD8KrluNA"

— Capulcu Tonella (@diehimbeertonis) June 3, 2015

Turkish Whistle blower exposes list of pro-gov’t polling clerks to be involved in election fraud. (TZ).

Turkey’s prominent Twitter whistleblower Fuat Avni exposed what he claimed to be the names of some polling clerks who will take part in Sunday’s elections and get involved in electoral fraud in favor of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

In a series of tweets posted late on Tuesday, the whistleblower revealed the names of a total of 324 people across Turkey, who he said will serve as polling clerks in the elections.

Fuat Avni’s list, titled “Ak-Hırsızlar” (AK-thieves), included the names of polling clerks, their title, occupation and where they will serve in the elections.

“I know the members of the AK-Thieves gang of Yezid and his accomplices name by name and I will expose them. This time, there is no escape. Just some of them are included in the list I will give. I will expose the rest if they do not give their plans [on electoral fraud],” Fuat Avni tweeted.

Stating that he earlier announced that he would publish the list of “AK-Thieves,” Fuat Avni said those in the list will soon face trial over their role in electoral fraud. “I am trying to do whatever I can,” he further said, calling on his followers to contribute to the country’s “biggest war for democracy.”

Fuat Avni does not mention President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's name directly in his/her tweets but uses the word “Yezid” while referring to him. Yezid is a reference to the Umayyad caliph, whom according to Islamic belief allowed his opponent Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, to execute in the Battle of Karbala. Hmmm.....Erdogan and his 'Islamist' gang are bringing the country to the brink of Civil war, just like his 'Muslim Brotherhood' acolytes did in Egypt.Read the full story here.

Turkey election board says vote rigging "impossible." Prints 74m ballots for 56.6m voters http://t.co/cYwGcTMd7K

— Mark Bentley (@MarkABentley) June 3, 2015

Video - 'Islamist' Turkish AKP Youth party Advocating 'Civil War' in Turkey?

Latest AKP ad shows parkour-ing "AK youths" defeating sinister international barons & Molotov-wielding protesters https://t.co/UJGFx3eods

— William Armstrong (@WJ_Armstrong) June 2, 2015

Turkey - 'AKP confiscated large amounts of refugee money, now being distributed as election bribe'

'AKP confiscated large amounts of money collected for refugees, now being distributed as election bribe'.(ANF).

Sıtkı Dursun, responsible for refugee work of the AKP-run Urfa Metropolitan Municipality, has been removed from his position and exiled to another institution as he criticised AKP’s policies towards refugees from Kobanê.

Sıtkı Dursun opened the doors of his house in the Mehser village of Suruç to people who had to flee from Kobanê during the attacks of the ISIS gangs. Dursun said the aid and the money sent to the AFAD tent city, run by the state, had not been distributed to people from Kobanê and the aid coming for the Kobanê people was put into stores by the municipality and is now being distributed to local people as an election investment. 

Dursun also added that AKP members have confiscated large amounts of money collected for the refugees.

The Suruç coordinator of the Urfa Municipality has been removed from his position and assigned to a new one in the Education Department in the city as he supported the people from Kobanê and developed good relations with the Suruç municipality run by the DBP.

Dursun told that he has been removed from his position as he had opened his house to refugees from Kobanê during the war period and said: “I live in Mehser village, which turned into the backyard of the Kobanê resistance. Tens of thousands of people flocked to our village during the intense attacks of the gangs on Kobanê. It was my human duty to open the doors of my house to these people”. Dursun added that the new job that he has been assigned to has nothing to do with his profession and the reason for this appointment is also the good relations he developed with the Suruç municipality run by the DBP.

Dursun said he was put under pressure by the AKP authorities during his work as coordinator in Suruç to make AKP propaganda amongst the refugees. 

He said that his job was to maintain the coordination between the Suruç municipality and the Metropolitan Municipality of Urfa and that he had good relations with the Suruç municipality as with the other district municipalities, adding that the AKP authorities did not enjoy developing good relations with the municipalities run by the DBP. Dursun said the AKP executives did not want to provide services for a DBP-run municipality, adding that the AKP has taken away almost everything the Suruç municipality had.

Dursunsaid the Metropolitan municipality has to provide 70% of the services in Suruç, however had done nothing and spread propaganda that the Suruç municipality was not working. He added that the Suruç municipality is the hardest working municipality in Urfa province, despite the limited means it has.

Dursun added that the Urfa Municipality did not distribute the aid collected for the refugees in Suruç, but kept it in store houses in order to distribute it during the elections.

Dursun said the state-run tent city of AFAD in Suruç was not set up to help the people from Kobanê, adding that only 10% of the aid reaching the camp was distributed to the people.

Dursun said the aid and the money collected for the AFAD tent city is now being distributed to local people as an election investment to gain votes for the AKP. Hmmmmm........'Corruption-R-Us'

Turkish - Dutch Hague jihadis planned attack on EU commission

Turkish - Dutch Hague jihadis planned attack on EU commission. (NOS).[Google Translate].


Belgian justice has evidence that two jihadists from The Hague had plans to commit at the office of the European Commission in Brussels an attack. That sources have reported to the NIS.

The two, a man and a woman of Turkish origin, were early August at the Brussels airport Zaventem arrested when they returned from Turkey. They had been in Syria. Presumably The two suspects have the Belgian judiciary guilty of participating in a terrorist group, violation of the Arms Act and terrorist financing.

The suspects belonged to a terrorist group, which thus had, according to the sources of the NOS, the European Commission as one of the targets for an attack on the eye. Belgian justice would not confirm this. At the moment the two residents of The Hague were arrested in Belgium, the Dutch police searched four homes in The Hague, including the Twickel Street in Moerwijk and Fannius Scholtenstraat in the Station Area. In the homes jihadist material was confiscated.

Reportedly there are more jihadists sought in the Belgian study from the Netherlands. According to the Belgian justice research focuses on Turkish Dutch that may have the jihadist networks tires. The suspects arrested in August are from The Hague, but would also regularly stay in Brussels. In their apartment in Brussels, the Belgian justice except jihadist material also found firearms and a bulletproof vest. Hmmm....As 'usual' there's the Turkish link.

Turkey's robot lobby: “Resistance to transparency is futile.”

Turkey's robot lobby: “Resistance to transparency is futile.” (HD).

When our prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, talked about the “robot lobby” in his speech at the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) weekly meeting on Tuesday, I thought I was dreaming. 

I thought that I was in the future living in one of Isaac Asimov’s books. Erdoğan said there was a robot lobby conspiring against him. I thought that in the year 2400, when Erdoğan is still the Prime Ruler, the robots had decided to ditch the three laws of robotics and started marching on the capital.

Then I thought that I was in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and that the Borgs had captured Erdoğan. They were repeating that famous line, too: “Resistance is futile.”

I pinched myself and realized that he was talking about the social media bots that post automatic tweets rather than Borgs. 

With this new addition, the list of lobbies that are now conspiring against him is as follows: interest rate, terror, media, social media, judiciary, marginal, international, montage saltshakers and robot.Read the full story here.

Video - Alleged Recep Tayyip Erdogan's dialog with his son Bilal about their corruption...In English.

More from Todays Zaman.: 

PM Erdoğan's tapes not doctored, specialists agree

"This scandal needs to be clarified before a judge, not the ballot box — in a normal democracy"

Voice analyzation

Update:  

Aydınlık English provide English transcripts of the original calls http://aydinlikdaily.com/Get-Rid-of-the-Money,-Erdo%C4%9Fan-Tells-Son-2378 … and the second set too: http://aydinlikdaily.com/PM-Teaches-Son-to-Hardball-Bribe-in-New-Tape-2401 …

Turkish Parliament amends Internet bill after president Gül’s last-minute intervention.

Turkish Parliament amends Internet bill after president Gül’s last-minute intervention. (HD).

The Turkish Parliament has approved partial amendments to the much-discussed Internet Law, resolving issues that President Abdullah Gül had asked the government to address.

However, the presidency communicated with the Justice Ministry late Feb. 25 after a number of ruling party lawmakers launched an initiative to increase the authority of the head of the Telecommunications Board (TİB) in the event of a cyber-attack.  

A 26-article omnibus bill containing modifications to the Internet Law in line with Gül’s suggestions was approved by Parliament early Feb. 26. According to the approved amendments, the TİB can only ask for limited information concerning users’ Internet traffic from service providers upon a court decision, such as IP addresses, the duration of service, and subscription details. The content of the web communications has been removed from the definition of Internet traffic.


Meanwhile, an attempt by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers to endow the TİB head with the authority to cut all web access in the event of a cyber-attack has been nixed after a message from the presidency was conveyed to the Justice Ministry.Read the full story here.

Thousands demonstrate during Protests staged across Turkey over tapes incriminating PM Erdogan and son.

Thousands demonstrate during Protests staged across Turkey over tapes incriminating PM Erdogan and son.(HD).

Several protests were held in Turkey’s main cities on Feb. 25 to denounce the latest leaked tapes featuring a conversation between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his son over the hiding of a large sum of cash in the wake of the Dec. 17.

Police crushed protests on Istanbul with tear gas and water cannons as hundreds gathered in the Asian-side district of Kadıköy, calling on the government to resign.

The intervention started after protesters attempted to march in front of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) district headquarters, Doğan news agency reported.

Police also resorted to tear gas and water cannon during protests in Ankara and İzmir. Other demonstrations were staged in İzmit, Trabzon, Eskişehir, Bursa, Antalya, Antakya and Çanakkale. 

The latest tapes to emerge amid a massive graft scandal are sending shockwaves through Turkish politics, with the government denying claims as “fabrications” and the opposition urging Erdoğan to resign.

                                           New demonstrations starting again this morning.

"TURKISH SPRING ?" - Thousands across Turkey call for Erdogan’s ouster.

"TURKISH SPRING ?" - Thousands across Turkey call for Erdogan’s ouster.(TOI).

Protesters take to the streets in 11 cities after recordings surface, purportedly of Turkish PM discussing how to hide money

Protesters took to the streets across Turkey on Tuesday, after audio recordings purportedly of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordering his son to dispose of vast amounts of cash amid a graft probe surfaced and went viral on the Internet.

Thousands of people demonstrated in 11 cities, including Ankara and Istanbul, shouting anti-government and anti-Erdogan slogans, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

Police in the capital fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd that chanted, “The government resigns” and “Thief Erdogan.”

In Istanbul, protests were reportedly held at 10 locations, with the biggest demonstration in the district of Kadikoy, where some 5,000 people marched to the district center, carrying banners reading, “Where are the thieves?” and “You will answer to the people.”

Protests were also held in the cities of Izmir, Antalya, Antakya, Samsun, Trabzon, Eskisehir, Kocaeli, Bursa and Canakkale, according to Xinhua. Clashes between riot police and the crowds were reported in Istanbul, Bursa and Eskisehir.

A chief prosecutor’s office on Tuesday initiated an investigation into the audio recordings in question, Turkish state-run media reported, as opposition parties demanded that the government resign.

Erdogan met with Turkey’s intelligence chief shortly after voice recordings of two people — alleged to be Erdogan and his son — circulated on the Internet on Monday.Read the full story here.

Hmmmm....Finally Spring came to Turkey expect a very hot March......Anything can happen.

Erdogan Protecting his 'voters base' ? - Workers with 3 children to get tax exemption in Turkey.

Turkish PM Erdoğan reiterates his call for three children

Erdogan Protecting his 'voters base'? - Workers with 3 children to get tax exemption in Turkey.(HD).

Workers on minimum wage will be exempt from income tax if they have three children, Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik announced on Dec. 31.

The net minimum wage will rise five percent to 846 Turkish Liras ($406) in the first half of 2014, Çelik told reporters following a meeting on minimum wage with representatives of employers and workers.

Another raise of six percent will follow in the second half, bringing the total amount to 891 liras ($428).

The two-stage raise of 5+6 percent is an improvement over 2013, which saw an increase of 4.1+4.4 percent.

Çelik also the minimum wage would now be the same for workers over and under the age of 16, a distinction that previously accounted for a 10-15 percent difference in salaries.

Tax exemption was valid for workers with four children, but the number was reduced to three one day after Bülent Arınç, deputy prime minister and government spokesman, announced the government’s decision on the issue after a Cabinet meeting.

The new minimum wage failed to meet expectations, according to Nazmi Irgat, a representative of the Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Türk-İş), who said the wage should have been raised to at least 1,205 liras.

“We feel cheated because employers use the threat of unemployment as a weapon,” Irgat said, adding all workers at minimum wage should be exempted from income tax.

Metin Demir, representative of the Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Unions (TİSK), meanwhile, said the new minimum wage announced was above their expectations. The government expects an inflation of 5.4 percent for 2014 and the raise is almost double that number, he noted, adding the confederation also disagreed with the decision to make minimum wage the same for workers of all ages.

We will be ineligible in 2015 election, says Turkish Deputy PM.

We will be ineligible in 2015 election, says Turkish Deputy PM.(HD).

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has said he will be among a series of high-ranking ruling party officials, including the prime minister, who will not be eligible to run for the 2015 election, in line with the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) own regulations.

In a televised interview with broadcaster Habertürk, Arınç ruled out any alterations to the party guidelines, which exclude over 70 party officials from the upcoming elections, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“Whether we want to or not, it’s the rule,” he said. “For me, I can’t wait for that day. I’ve been in politics since I was 19 or 20. There is an absolute benefit to giving a break now. This is also the politics renewing itself as well. If God allows it, we will not be in the 2015 elections. I personally don’t plan to be in any, be they local or parliamentary. That’s what I think.”


Arınç also spoke about the ongoing peace process during the interview, where he ruled out any possible pardoning for the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, despite rumors.

“None of us, as a government member, consider a pardon. I can tell that in sincerity. No one in this process that has been linked to Öcalan, not even Öcalan has mentioned pardoning. If you follow it daily you will see that none of the strong actors of the process have mentioned a pardon. No such thing is in the agenda right now,” Arınç said.

Arınç added that the process was yet to be completed, despite reports claiming the PKK withdrawal had ended.

“When you look at these people, some say the withdrawal has ended. No, it has not. The prime minister is right about this. We have intelligence enough to understand who has left, from where they have left,” Arınç said, adding that around 20 percent of the PKK presence in the country had left the country so far.