Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan says that main opposition leader, Deniz Baykal, is using the country’s founder Atatürk as a shield behind which he pursues political aims. ErdoÄŸan says secularism is guaranteed by the people’s will, something 'Baykal has problems' with
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan accused the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) leader of “doing politics by hiding behind Atatürk,” in an address to his Justice and Development (AKP) Part's youth branch yesterday.

    “Baykal says they did not establish secularism with people's vote. He says this in a country marked by Atatürk's ‘sovereignty rests unconditionally with the nation' axiom. Baykal claims that the Republic and democracy were set up by the CHP,” ErdoÄŸan said and invited Baykal to “learn that the Republic was founded by the people under Atatürk's leadership. “There is no such thing as a state-party. Baykal lays bare his anti-nation politics with his statements. Secularism entered into our Constitution not with the CHP's imposition, but by our people's will. Our nation does not have a problem with secularism, it has a problem with Baykal's imposing ways,” ErdoÄŸan said.  

  

Secularism need not be voted on

  ErdoÄŸan rebuked any doubts over the Turkish people's attachment to secularism, and accused Baykal of having problems with democracy and the people's will. “This is a futile attempt. No one needs to vote for secularism,” said ErdoÄŸan. ErdoÄŸan accused the CHP of disrespect to the country's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. “We definitely know the CHP mentality that took Atatürk's portraits off the Turkish lira and state offices immediately after his decease. We know how they erased Atatürk's image off post stamps. The CHP should talk after cleaning these taints in its history,” ErdoÄŸan said.

  ErdoÄŸan blamed his opponents of relying on sectionalist policies. “We never asked ourselves how many people we are, since we represent 70 million. They [CHP] think that they have no option but to conduct divisive and conflict politics,” ErdoÄŸan said and suggested that the opposition is trying to project a false image of a torn society. ErdoÄŸan also argued that his party is free of ethnic, regional and religious nationalism.