Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 22 May 2017

Turkey’s ruling party elects President Erdogan as leader

ZEYNEP BILGINSOY Trump last week resolved
Associated Press little of the discord over
ISTANBUL (AP) — Presi- his administration’s deci-
dent Recep Tayyip Erdo- sion to more heavily arm
gan returned as leader Syrian Kurdish militants as
of Turkey’s ruling party part of the fight against
Sunday, pushing back IS.Turkey considers the
criticism that his tenure considers the People’s
has curtailed freedoms Protection Units, or YPG,
and polarized the coun- in Syria a terror organi-
try as he vowed to serve zation and an extension
the nation and combat of the Kurdistan Work-
terror. ers’ Party (PKK), which
The Justice and Devel- has waged a three-de-
opment Party, or AK Par- cade-long insurgency
ty, re-elected Erdogan, against the Turkish state
its co-founder, at a con- and is blamed for mul-
gress where he was the tiple deadly bombings
only candidate for chair- since 2015.q
man. A narrow victory in Erdogan has said he
a referendum last month would retaliate if the
to expand the powers of YPG posed a security
the Turkish presidency Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures during a congress of the ruling Justice and De- threat, signaling more
allows him to be both velopment Party in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, May 21, 2017. cross-border operations.
the head of state and of Associated Press “Those who use terror or-
a political party. ganizations to keep us in
Speaking to tens of investments,” the presi- reaches peace and wel- be like what it was be- line will soon recognize
thousands of people in dent said. fare.” He said it had not fore July 15. A new era their mistakes,” he said.
Ankara, Erdogan said Erdogan was forced to affected civil rights. has begun in combat- “We would be glad to
he was back after “998 cut his formal ties to the Turkey blames the net- ting terror organizations solve our problems with
days of separation” from party when he became work of U.S.-based cleric inside and outside our our friends and our allies.
the party and outlined the country’s first direct- Fethullah Gulen for the country’s borders.” But if that option is no
a vision for its immedi- ly elected president in July 15 coup attempt Hours before the con- longer there, we cannot
ate future and elections 2014. Last month’s ref- that left nearly 270 gress convened, 2 sus- sit with our hands tied.”
scheduled for Novem- erendum eliminated a dead— a charge Gulen pected Islamic State Erdogan also criticized
ber 2019 with new ex- constitutional require- has denied. militants were killed in Turkey’s European allies,
ecutive and grassroots ment mandating that Under the state of emer- an Ankara police op- saying, “We do not have
teams. presidents be neutral gency, more than 47,000 eration. Police said they to tolerate the Europe-
“This congress is the AK and cut ties with their people have been ar- recovered weapons an Union’s two-faced
Party’s rebirth,” he said political parties. rested and 100,000 and explosives. Turkey’s attitude.”Erdogan
before the vote. “AK Critics say the referen- dismissed from public state-run news agency called on the EU to grant
Party is not just its voters’ dum transforming Tur- service for alleged con- said the men were be- visa-free travel to Turkish
party, it’s the party for all key’s parliamentary nections to the cler- lieved to be planning an citizens, give promised
of our 80 million citizens.” governing system to an ic and groups Turkey attack in the capital. aid for migrants hosted
Elected with 1,414 votes, executive presidency deems terror organiza- The operation follows a in Turkey and to speed
Erdogan set the par- was marred by allega- tions. A dozen lawmak- string of attacks blamed up Turkey’s accession
ty’s course for what he tions of election fraud. ers from the pro-Kurdish on the Islamic State bid in return for the
called a “new era” of The vote took place un- opposition party, includ- group, which led to Tur- country’s work in curtail-
reforms. der a state of emergen- ing its co-presidents, are key’s cross-border oper- ing the flood of migrants
“The upcoming months cy imposed in the wake behind bars along with ation into northern Syria to Europe.“Despite ev-
will be a period of soar- of last year’s failed coup. some 160 journalists. to combat both IS and erything, our choice is
ing in all areas, including Erdogan defended the Calling the purge nec- U.S.-backed Syrian Kurd- still to continue with the
combatting terror, the state of emergency and essary for the country’s ish militants. EU,” he said. “The deci-
economy, expanding said it would remain in survival, Erdogan said, Erdogan’s meeting with sion here belongs to the
rights and freedoms and place “until the situation “Nothing in Turkey will U.S. President Donald EU.”q