ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the resolution process the country's further step towards being much more robust, liberal and democratic.
Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, Erdogan underlined that Turkey's economy grew 2.2 percent in 2012, adding that "Although a growth of 2.2 percent was below our expectations, Turkey's performance was successful compared to the developed countries and European countries."
Erdogan gave the growth figures of economies of the European countries as an example and underlined that some of those economies shrunk in the year of 2012.
Regarding S&P's upgrading of Turkey's rating, Erdogan said that it was not enough. "After upgrading by six fold the rating of a country which went bankrupt, S&P's giving Turkey such a note was neither scientific nor just," he stated. "We want scientific and just approaches instead of ideological approaches," added Erdogan.
Prime Minister Erdogan also said it was impossible to understand calling the "resolution process" the "betrayal to the national unity process". He said if there were a betrayal, (opposition leaders) (Devlet) Bahceli and (Kemal) Kilicdaroglu were in it, adding those leaders never even intended to gather to discuss "how to solve the (Kurdish) issue".
Erdogan added, they had reached another spring despite Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahceli and Turkey's main opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu and said, "I return the words of Mr. Bahceli about this process, which he called it 'betrayal process'. Because, they have disgraced this country by these betrayals until today."
Erdogan said the new process called the "resolution process" was an advanced step towards a more robust, more free, more democratic and more peaceful Turkey. "Nobody should try to obstruct it with provocations," said Erdogan, adding, "Neither Bahceli nor Kilicdaroglu could do that as long as we have the support of our nation."
