Erdoğan: If Those Involved in Terror Win in March Election, We Will Appoint Trustees

* Photograph: Murat Kaynak - Ankara / Anadolu Agency

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the public in front of Kızlıcahamam Municipality in Ankara after the 27th Consultation and Evaluation Meeting of the AKP that was held in the district yesterday (October 7).

In his speech, Erdoğan referred to the local elections that will be held in March 2019 and spoke about the appointment of trustees.

Erdoğan stated that in case the ones "who have gotten involved in terror" are elected, trustees will be immediately appointed to those municipalities.

Here are some of the highlights from Erdoğan's speech:

"In the period when municipalities have been under the control of the separatist organization, we have been unveiling the preparations made under the auspices of those mayors themselves, we have been breaking up these preparations via our trustees.

"We have called the ones, who have allocated the vehicles and budgets of the nation to terrorists, to account for their crimes, we are calling them to account and we will continue to do so.

"If the ones who have gotten involved in terror will come out of the ballot box in the local elections in March, we will do what is necessary and proceed on our way by appointing trustees."

Reactions

Serpil Kemalbay and Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Sezgin Tanrıkulu from the Republican People's Party (CHP) have denounced the statement of Erdoğan.

Kemalbay: What is illegitimate is your one man system

"Our people have disproved this thesis/ambition of yours three times before, namely in the elections on June 7, November 1 and June 24. No offence; but, what is illegitimate is your one-man system and your trustee order, which has encroached upon the will of people."

Taşdemir: When the lie 'People do not support HDP' does not take hold...

"When the lie 'People do not support the HDP' does not take hold, they have been trying to intimidate with threats and blackmails. It is a confession of AKP's defeat."

Tanrıkulu: A declaration of the fact that there is no right to free election

"With this statement, it has been announced six months before the elections that the right to a free election does not exist in Turkey. The criteria to be nominated in local elections have been specified in the related law, it becomes definitive after the approval of the Supreme Election Council (YSK). Erdoğan has just announced that he will not recognize the will of a people even if it comes out of the ballot box." (EKN/SD)