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optimism in Ankara, raising hopes that the new president will be someone supported by all political parties.
Erdoğan's main rival, Deniz Baykal, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) came up with another suggestion yesterday, electing someone with no links to any political party.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) failed to elect their sole candidate Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül as president in April, after rejecting a number of calls to seek consensus with the CHP. A harsh military statement and Constitutional Court ruling that set 367 deputies as the quorum, which the AKP failed to reach, blocked the presidential election process. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer continues to hold office even though his tenure ended on May 16.
Baykal, in a press conference yesterday, evaluated Erdoğan's new rhetoric and asked: “If you were to seek consensus now why did you create all this tension in the country? This is a confession of a huge mistake by the prime minister.”
A president with no political links
He warned that the Turkish people are already divided over the rounds of voting that took place in Parliament to elect a president and said: “Let's elect someone who has fully adopted the principles of the Constitution. Electing someone from a political party will restart the same debates we had in the last couple of months. For this term only, let's agree on someone from outside the political arena.”
According to Baykal, consensus among parties can only be reached without naming a candidate prior to a meeting by party leaders. “No party should impose their own candidate,” he said. Baykal said the next president of Turkey should be someone that can keep state institutions, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and political parties together, loyal to the Constitution, respected and honest.
Asked whether he has someone in mind Baykal said, “No but Turkey has a lot of very valuable individuals.” The CHP's leader said they will wait and see the results of the elections first and then move on to presidential elections.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Erdoğan late Monday repeated his calls for consensus to elect the president saying, “Turkey, for sure, will not be ruled by a president whose term in office has already expired. The rules are set by the Constitution. After the elections, the best and proper step will be taken together after meeting with the deputies.”
But he continued his warnings not to impose presidential candidates by saying “Otherwise we will go to people. If not at the first leg, we'll elect Turkey's president in the second leg.”
Gül, Erdoğan split over candidacy
Erdoğan's recent statement clearly shows that the prime minister has changed his mind on Gül's candidacy while the foreign minister argues that he is still running for president. Crowds at campaign rallies have shown full support for Gül's bid to become president. Gül, in an interview with private ATV late Monday, said he was very much disturbed at being in the spotlight during the presidential election process. But he declined to say that he no longer holds the ambition to run for president.
“What is important is the people's opinion. Turkey's president should be someone that can represent the country. Is it going to be consensus when four political parties agree on someone who is not known? Of course not,” Gül said.
But like Erdoğan, another very influential figure in the AKP, Bülent Arınç also shows his unwillingness to support Gül's bid to run for president. “We will be obliged to nominate a new candidate according to the new composition of the Parliament,” he said. AKP officials yesterday said the party will re-evaluate the situation but it is not very likely that Gül's candidacy will be valid.
Bahçeli warm toward Baykal's suggestion
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is being seen as entering Parliament as the third party, in an interview with private KanalB, said it is not against electing someone from outside Parliament. He also said the constitutional amendment package should be reviewed by the next Parliament. “I was one of the first leaders suggesting that the president should be elected by popular vote. But this package is not mature enough.”
Amending the constitution?
Prime Minister Erdoğan also said his party is rewriting a civilian Constitution that will be announced soon, during an interview with the official TRT channel. He said they will narrow the duties and responsibilities of the President, taking Finnish and Austrian models as an example. “It seems Turkey has adopted the parliamentary regime whereas a presidential or semi-presidential system is not embraced that much here.”
Erdoğan's main rival, Deniz Baykal, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) came up with another suggestion yesterday, electing someone with no links to any political party.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) failed to elect their sole candidate Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül as president in April, after rejecting a number of calls to seek consensus with the CHP. A harsh military statement and Constitutional Court ruling that set 367 deputies as the quorum, which the AKP failed to reach, blocked the presidential election process. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer continues to hold office even though his tenure ended on May 16.
Baykal, in a press conference yesterday, evaluated Erdoğan's new rhetoric and asked: “If you were to seek consensus now why did you create all this tension in the country? This is a confession of a huge mistake by the prime minister.”
A president with no political links
He warned that the Turkish people are already divided over the rounds of voting that took place in Parliament to elect a president and said: “Let's elect someone who has fully adopted the principles of the Constitution. Electing someone from a political party will restart the same debates we had in the last couple of months. For this term only, let's agree on someone from outside the political arena.”
According to Baykal, consensus among parties can only be reached without naming a candidate prior to a meeting by party leaders. “No party should impose their own candidate,” he said. Baykal said the next president of Turkey should be someone that can keep state institutions, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and political parties together, loyal to the Constitution, respected and honest.
Asked whether he has someone in mind Baykal said, “No but Turkey has a lot of very valuable individuals.” The CHP's leader said they will wait and see the results of the elections first and then move on to presidential elections.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Erdoğan late Monday repeated his calls for consensus to elect the president saying, “Turkey, for sure, will not be ruled by a president whose term in office has already expired. The rules are set by the Constitution. After the elections, the best and proper step will be taken together after meeting with the deputies.”
But he continued his warnings not to impose presidential candidates by saying “Otherwise we will go to people. If not at the first leg, we'll elect Turkey's president in the second leg.”
Gül, Erdoğan split over candidacy
Erdoğan's recent statement clearly shows that the prime minister has changed his mind on Gül's candidacy while the foreign minister argues that he is still running for president. Crowds at campaign rallies have shown full support for Gül's bid to become president. Gül, in an interview with private ATV late Monday, said he was very much disturbed at being in the spotlight during the presidential election process. But he declined to say that he no longer holds the ambition to run for president.
“What is important is the people's opinion. Turkey's president should be someone that can represent the country. Is it going to be consensus when four political parties agree on someone who is not known? Of course not,” Gül said.
But like Erdoğan, another very influential figure in the AKP, Bülent Arınç also shows his unwillingness to support Gül's bid to run for president. “We will be obliged to nominate a new candidate according to the new composition of the Parliament,” he said. AKP officials yesterday said the party will re-evaluate the situation but it is not very likely that Gül's candidacy will be valid.
Bahçeli warm toward Baykal's suggestion
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is being seen as entering Parliament as the third party, in an interview with private KanalB, said it is not against electing someone from outside Parliament. He also said the constitutional amendment package should be reviewed by the next Parliament. “I was one of the first leaders suggesting that the president should be elected by popular vote. But this package is not mature enough.”
Amending the constitution?
Prime Minister Erdoğan also said his party is rewriting a civilian Constitution that will be announced soon, during an interview with the official TRT channel. He said they will narrow the duties and responsibilities of the President, taking Finnish and Austrian models as an example. “It seems Turkey has adopted the parliamentary regime whereas a presidential or semi-presidential system is not embraced that much here.”
