Erdogan stumps for AKP candidates in Kırıkkale

Stumping for Justice and Development Party (AK Party) candidates for local elections late next month, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday spoke to a campaign rally in the central Anatolian province of Kirikkale. Again accusing opposition parties of basing their campaigns on smears and baseless claims, Erdogan told a crowd of thousands, "If you have any evidence of corruption involving the government or AK Party mayors, you should go to the legal system, not spread smears. Turkey is a country ruled by law, and such smear campaigns accomplish nothing." Charging that opposition leaders are avoiding holding rallies despite the looming polls, Erdogan said, "The nation has the right and authority to make a choice. You should come to the people and promote your policies and projects to serve them, if you have any. But instead your campaigns are based on slander." Erdogan also accused some media outlets of complicity in the smears. Stressing that his party's books are fully transparent, Erdogan said the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) had been convicted by the Constitutional Court of misusing Treasury aid to the party. Erdogan added that his party would seek justice in the courts against the purported smears. Accusing the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of trying to monopolize patriotism, Erdogan said, "Patriotism isn't a matter of words but instead of working to serve the people. We don't talk about patriotism but carry out projects to serve the people." Rejecting ethnic discrimination, Erdogan said Turkish citizenship is an inseparable unity.