Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, August 2014, Page 59

Waging Peace

Türkiye’s Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay Defends the AKP

Türkiye’s Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay was the keynote speaker at Insight Türkiye’s fourth annual conference at the Loews Madison hotel in Washington, DC on April 29.

During his remarks, Atalay addressed a number of topics: Türkiye’s recent local elections, the standing of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP), domestic political tensions, and his country’s foreign policy.

Türkiye has experienced a “great deal of stability” since the country emerged from a long period of military rule, Atalay argued. He attributed this in large part to policies carried out by the AKP and, most notably, its leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In particular, Atalay said, the AKP has deftly managed the country’s economy. Since the party assumed power, per capita income has grown and living standards have increased, he stated.

Dismissing the idea that Erdogan has become increasingly authoritarian in the past year, Atalay said the AKP “attaches a great deal of importance to people’s thoughts and beliefs.” Furthermore, he argued, “There is huge [domestic] popular support for what we are doing.”

As evidence of this, Atalay cited the fact that the AKP emerged victorious in the March 30 local elections. His party won 43 percent of the vote, he noted, more than it has in previous local elections.

The AKP “ran a brilliant campaign…our strategy was flawless,” Atalay boasted, and charged the opposition with running “a campaign of libel” that ultimately failed to undermine the AKP’s track record.

The deputy prime minister also attacked the AKP’s chief opponent—the Fethullah Gulen movement. Members of this movement have “infiltrated” law enforcement and the judiciary and have illegally targeted members of the AKP, he insisted. As a result, he argued, the Gulen movement must be strongly countered. “This organization in the judiciary needs to be rooted out,” he said.

While Atalay steadfastly defended the AKP, he did acknowledge that Turkish democracy is still developing and has endured some bleak moments in recent history. “Our democracy is a work in progress,” he said. “We accept this, there are still steps for us to take.”

At the same time, Atalay assured his audience that the AKP is not afraid to act boldly and pursue major reforms. “We do not beat around the bush when it comes to big issues,” he stated. “We like to take risks and be bold in our steps.”

Turning to foreign policy, Atalay noted that Ankara remains deeply concerned about the ramifications of the Syrian civil war. “Our complaint about Syria is that the international community was too late…and now there’s an element of terrorism in Syria,” he said. The world must make a serious effort to banish terrorist groups from Syria, he stressed, warning that these groups pose a serious security risk to Türkiye and the entire Muslim world.

Regarding Egypt, Atalay voiced his opposition to the country’s military government. “We have been against the coup in Egypt since the very beginning,” he said. “But the Western world has not been consistent when it comes to Egypt.”

Pressed on Türkiye-Israel relations by several audience members, Atalay responded in vague terms. “We want to overcome these problems and normalize relations,” he said.

On the subject of Türkiye’s prospective membership in the European Union, Atalay said his country is working diligently to achieve this goal. Türkiye, he added, hopes this process will be accelerated.

“Türkiye is exceptional in my opinion,” Atalay concluded, noting the instability that surrounds his country. Türkiye values democracy and constitutionalism, he said, making it a model for the region.

—Dale Sprusansky