ANAP official: "We will participate in the vote, if AKP accepts our terms"

"Presidential elections are very important in Turkey. We always demanded the president to be elected by the people," Mehmet Kechechiler, deputy chief of ANAP (Motherland Party), former deputy prime minister of Turkey stated.

He underlined that neither authorities, nor the opposition accepts people's electing president, APA reports.

"It is a pity that neither authorities, nor the opposition accepted our proposal. We demand amendments to the constitution and electing president by the people in 2014. If the ruling Justice and Development Party accepts our proposal, we will join the first round of the elections in the parliament on April 27. Otherwise, we will discuss our position concerning the votes. The government could not manage the process of nomination of candidacy and it caused tension. AKP government caused this tension. They governed the process unprofessionally. But after Erdogan refused his candidacy and nominated Abdullah Gul's candidacy, pressures on the authorities reduced a little," he said.

Gurjan Dagdas, member of Nationalist Movement Party, state minister of the 54th Turkish government reproached Prime Minister Erdogan to act without taking into account existing traditions.

"Prime Minister nominated his close surrounding. But it is not the end of everything. Democracy continues in Turkey and our political parties will eliminate the authorities' mistakes.

Though the majority of the people are anxious about the current events, the media supporting the authorities do not enlighten them," he said.
Gurjan Dagdas said that the people’s protest to the current events will influence on the results of the elections.

"The people's protest will be reflected in the polls. The Prime Minister claims that AKP is the strongest party taking into account the results of the blanks. Then why do they avoid extraordinary elections? I am sure that the people will not elect AKP. Media did not inform the people of the statements made by the leader of Nationalist Movement Party. But we – a larger family under the leadership of Devlet Bahcheli informed the people of our intention. Therefore we believe that Nationalist Movement Party will win the elections," he said.