DEVA Party Chair Babacan: We want equal citizenship

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DEVA Party Chair Ali Babacan talked about the current issues on Turkey's agenda at the morning news bulletin of FOX TV.

Answering the questions of İsmail Küçükkaya today (November 8), Ali Babacan, also a former minister from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said, "In recent years, governors, sub-governors, all state bodies have started working like members of the party."

Noting that "it is the case in several regions", Babacan said, "There are certainly still some local authorities who protect the state honor and believe that the state is the state of people from every party. But, generally speaking, there is government pressure about this issue."

Referring to "the pragmatism of some governors and sub-governors", Babacan stated, "There may be some mutual relations like 'If I stand close to the President or government today, I might be appointed to nice provinces.' A governor, a sub-governor cannot be partisan."

Warning that "some small margins can be closed via local authorities or by using different means of the state", he said, "The election must be won by a wide margin. If it is small, there might be attempts to close that margin with all types of plays and tricks. Ballot boxes must be protected well."

Budget talks and question of 'survival'

Babacan also referred to the ongoing budget talks for 2022. Addressing President and AKP Chair Erdoğan, Babacan said, "The guarantees given without any calculation, the money paid by the state for unused highways and airports are paid from the pocket of the state. What Erdoğan says is not true. He says, 'Not a single penny' is paid. It is not the case."

Calling on Erdoğan to "look at the budget being discussed at the Parliament and ask 'how much money will be paid from the pocket of the state for the build-operate-transfer projects'," he said that Erdoğan would then see "whether 1 penny or 300 billion lira would be paid this year."

"If we are talking about a problem of survival, the ones whose divide and polarize this country are jeopardizing the survival of the country," said Babacan and briefly added, "We say, 'Equal citizenship.' When an MP utters some words in Kurdish, his or her mother language, at the Parliament, it is still written down as an 'unknown language' in the minutes of the Parliament. The current government no longer has the capability to solve the problems. Because they deny the problems." (EMK/SD)