Erdogan lambastes media, CHP leader Baykal

Speaking to his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) parliamentary group meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday lashed out at the stance of main opposition leader Deniz Baykal and certain media outlets in the wake of Parliament's vote to end the university headscarf ban. "Unfortunately, such media outlets try to paint Turkey as a divided country," he said. "They think that they can accomplish something by showing two different images of Turkey to the world and creating virtual divisions and raising tension." Erdogan said that the CHP had similarly worked to raise tension in the runup to last year's general elections and now some of the media are doing the same.