From Erdoğan to Industry and Business Association TÜSİAD: Know Your Place

Photograph: Raşit Aydoğan - Ankara / AA

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After the Supreme Election Council (YSK) ruled that Metropolitan Mayorship Elections in İstanbul shall be repeated, the verdict of the Council has also been criticized by the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD).

In a written statement released by the Association on its official Twitter account on May 6, it was indicated, "As we also emphasized before the results of March 31 local elections were announced, we find it worrying to return to an environment of election at a time when we have to focus on a comprehensive economic and democratic reform agenda."

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Erdoğan: Quite strange statements

Speaking in the weekly group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) today (May 7), President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the statement of the TÜSİAD and said, "Everyone should know their place." Addressing the TÜSİAD, Erdoğan said,

"We saw that after the verdict was announced yesterday, some groups of businessmen are making quite strange statements. Nice... If you make such a statement at a time when we are talking about normalization for the future of our country and at a place where the electoral law is being enforced, then, these behaviors of yours will not bring normalization.

"These behaviors would bring abnormalization. You are in the wrong. Everyone should know their place first."

TÜSİAD said 'an important opportunity for reform'

Making another statement after the voting procedure ended on May 31, 2019, the TÜSİAD said, 

"May local election results be to the benefit of our country. We congratulate the mayors who will take office; we wish them a successful term in office with a focus on smart urban technologies and sustained development targets.

"With the local elections behind us, the forthcoming period without elections is an important opportunity for our economic, social and political agenda.

"We wish a fast progress in structural reforms to be simultaneously introduced in all basic fields, especially in investment climate, education, digital transformation and labor market." (AÖ/SD)