Minister in elections and a look at ’castles’

On one side candidates are being determined and targets are being revealed on the other. The most ambitious politician is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Months ago he started the castle war. He revealed the desire to take over İzmir, the castle of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and the Çankaya district in Ankara. Erdoğan also underlined that he wants Diyarbakır in the Southeast, the castle of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, for years. That was not enough for him. Erdoğan paid visits to the region, criticized DTP municipalities, created a problem out of litter in streets and claimed, "We will wipe off the dirt."

An important backdrop was behind Erdoğan’s bold ambition to take over the "castles" which he voiced long ago. In the governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, he was planning to introduce "strong candidates" for the CHP and the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, castles: State Minister Kürşad Tüzmen for CHP’s castle Mersin, Culture Minister of Ertuğrul Günay for CHP’s castle İzmir, Public Works Minister Faruk Özak for Trabzon, Agriculture Minister Medhi Eker for DTP’s castle Diyarbakır. But there is more.

The slogan "castles will be taken over by ministers" was put into action. Erdoğan selected four ministers from the Cabinet as new candidates and therefore has a chance of revision at the Council of Ministers. But the Prime Minister changed his mind. This time "deputy candidate" formula was introduced at the party’s central executive. AKP’s Abdurrahman Kurt was considered for Diyarbakır, Orhan Gümrükçüoğlu for Trabzon, Erdal Kalkan for İzmir.

As the committee gave up the project of "minister candidates" and narrowed the objectives, the "castle" self-criticism was being voiced. Some committee members said the move to take over the castles was a mistake.

A committee member said the move backfired in Diyarbakır and helped the DTP to get stronger.

SECOND ARTICLE: MHP'S concerns
The MHP leader Bahçeli expressed his "transatlantic" concerns at a breakfast with the representatives of newspapers and televisions.

He claimed that some people are putting effort to form a dual political structure in Turkey. "Through the impositions outside, some people want a political development in Turkey; a double wing Parliament is desired."

We wouldn’t know if Bahçeli has solid evidence, but it is possible to say that this will be his main argument against the AKP and CHP in the local elections.