Trustee Statement by Erdoğan: There are Several Files Before us

* Photograph: Murat Çetinmühürdar / Presidency - AA

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President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has answered the questions of journalists on his way back from Russia, where he paid a visit to President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

Regarding the feminicides that have once again become a burning topic on the agenda after the murder of Emine Bulut, President Erdoğan has said, "I am saying it loud and clear: My heart is set on capital punishment. The Parliament will talk about it, discuss it and I approve whatever they decide. I believe in the voice of my conscience at that point."

'How can we keep them in these positions?'

Erdoğan has also responded to the questions of journalists regarding the appointment of trustees to the Metropolitan Municipalities of Van, Mardin and Diyarbakır. Indicating that there are also files on other mayors, he has said that these files will be examined once the Parliament opens.

"As you know, we have removed three mayors, who have got involved in terror, from office with an administrative decision. Why did we do it?", Erdoğan has asked and alleged that the mayors in question "sent the taxes distributed to the municipalities to Qandil."

"They all turn into bullets in Qandil. These are all identified. How can we keep them in these positions after all these", he has indicated further.

'There are files of other mayors'

"Mardin Mayor is quite interesting. They say that he is sick. He was released on probation because he was sick. What was this person? He was not convicted, but arrested. Even though he was released on probation, he marched with the head of main opposition on Ankara-İstanbul Highway. Sick eh, sick! Excuse me, but we cannot shut our eyes to it!

"Diyarbakır is the same, Van is the same... Except for them, God willing, you will see that once the Parliament is opened... There are several files before us at that point. All of these files will be put on the table. Then, the Parliament will take the necessary decision.

"Do you think that there will be no files of investigation, prosecution or lawsuits against several mayors? There will be. They are not decisions that we will take emotionally. The judiciary will make these decisions."

'Operations in Idlib have to be stopped'

President Erdoğan has also touched upon their meeting with President of Russia Putin, where they also discussed foreign policy in general and the situation in Syria's Idlib in particular.

"The most urgent issue here is that the Idlib Memorandum is put into effect and the ongoing operations are stopped. We do not want another humanitarian crisis to unfold in the region", Erdoğan has indicated.

Reminding that there are 12 observation points of Turkey in Idlib, Erdoğan has also announced that these issues will be discussed by himself, Putin and President of Iran Hassan Rouhani in Ankara on September 16."

Lastly, Erdoğan has also touched upon a possible purchase of other warplanes from Russia. Asked by a journalist, "Are Su-35 and Su-37 planes among the alternatives?", Erdoğan has answered, "Why not? We did not come here for nothing." (AS/SD)

* Sources: NTV and daily Hürriyet