Campaigning in Mardin, Erdogan pledges continued democratic reforms

Addressing a campaign rally in the southeastern Anatolia province of Mardin yesterday, ahead of local elections late next month, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said no one should confuse the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) with other parties, adding that the people no longer support a purely Ankara-centric mode of governance and politics. Stating that the AK Party has changed this during its six years in office, Erdogan said the government has taken great strides to bring an equal level of public services to every part of Turkey. Touting government efforts to expand the cultural rights of people living in the region, Erdogan said the TRT 6 channel, Turkey's first Kurdish-language state TV station, started broadcasting early this year towards this end. Criticizing opposition parties for opposing government reform efforts, Erdogan said, "Turkey is becoming more democratic and growing into a major power by thinking big. We will determinedly continue to develop Turkey and realize those reforms." Slamming claims by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader of government corruption, Erdogan said that since the CHP lacks any positive public program, it is campaigning on the basis of smears. If anyone has any evidence of corruption among AK Party mayors they should seek justice in the courts rather than spreading smears, Erdogan said, adding that the CHP should clean its own house over a Constitutional Court conviction of misusing Treasury financial support. Erdogan also said the government kept its word to establish a university in Mardin, adding that the university would soon open Kurdish and Syriac language and literature departments.