TURKEY-POLITICS/ERDOGAN-SYRIA Turkey's Erdogan calls for new government to be established quickly

Record ID: 150893

  • Title: TURKEY-POLITICS/ERDOGAN-SYRIA Turkey's Erdogan calls for new government to be established quickly
  • Date: 11th June 2015
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF ERDOGAN POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH STUDENTS
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3QNRDA0O7HMEHTFOGD4QZOF6T
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday (June 11) urged the country's political parties to work quickly to form a new government, saying egos should be left aside and that history would judge anyone who left Turkey in limbo.
    In his first public appearance since Sunday's parliamentary election deprived the ruling AK Party of a majority, Erdogan said no political development should be allowed to threaten Turkey's gains.
    "Everybody should respect the outcome as the will of people. Election results shows our people went for an outcome that does not pave way for a single party government. I hope that all political parties will read that message right," Erdogan said in a speech to students at the Ankara chamber of commerce.
    "Turkey's goals for 2023 are not goals of a political party but they are goals of the whole country. We should continue to walk along this path without allowing any malfunction. Those who leave Turkey without a government, those who are defeated by their ego will be held to account by history and people," the Turkish President added.
    Sunday's vote ended more than a decade of single-party rule in the EU candidate nation, dealing a blow to Erdogan's ambitions for a more powerful executive role. Some critics view it as a turning point for the president and for Turkey.
    The AKP's top brass held a third day of meetings on Wednesday (June 10) to consider its options and will either seek to form a coalition government with a junior opposition partner, or attempt to rule as a minority government.
    Erdogan stressed he would do his part in finding a solution with the powers given to him by the constitution and called on all parties to participate in this process.
    "Therefore, all parties should leave egos aside and form a new government as soon as possible within the constitutional process and this process should continue with an understanding that continuity is a must for the State" he said.
    Erdogan also accused the West of bombing Arabs and Syrian Turkmens while supporting Kurdish "terrorist" groups which he said were taking their place.
    "The West is bombing Arabs and Turkmen in Tel Abyad next to our border unfortunately and have replaced them with terrorist groups PYD and PKK. How can we see this as a positive step? How can we believe that the West is sincere?" he said.
    Moderate Syrian rebels and Kurdish forces have been fighting Islamic State insurgents holding the Syrian border town of Tel Abyad in recent days, sending thousands of people fleeing to Turkey.
    Turkey is uncomfortable with gains by Kurdish YPG forces in Syria, saying they have links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
    Erdogan has also questioned the effectiveness of bombing raids by U.S..
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