PM Erdogan: "If the AKP falls short in next year's local elections, I will quit the party helm"

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend met with Turkish businessmen in New Delhi, India and listened to their problems. During the meeting, Erdogan reportedly spoke about Turkey's local elections set for next March, saying he doesn't fear the ballot box. "If my nation decided to remove me from government, I would readily accept this," he added. "If my party comes in second in the elections, I will quit the party leadership." Erdogan agreed with the businessmen's complaints about excessive red tape, saying that even as prime minister since 2003, he is similarly crippled by bureaucracy. Asked about the global economic crisis, Erdogan complained that the Turkish Businessmen's and Industrialists' Association (TUSIAD) isn't supporting the government. Afterwards, Erdogan and his delegation proceeded to Agra and visited the Taj Mahal.