Personal finances debate rages on in Ankara
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 31, 2006 11:03
The turbulence which began with Treasury Secretary Kemal Unakitan's purported statement last week in Ankara that opposition leader Deniz Baykal had "millions" in his bank account will peak today in the capital, when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the Turkish Parliament (TBMM) in the afternoon.
Though PM Erdogan is not expected to reveal his own personal finances, as was indicated earlier in the week by some Turkish press, it is anticipated that the PM will call on opposition leaders such as Baykal and ANAVATAN's Mumcu to "step forward first and reveal their own finances like men" if they are interested in hearing the PM do the same.
Talk of whether or not a new law requiring politicians to be completely transparent on the subject of personal finances is also circulating in Ankara back rooms. Meanwhile, opposition leader Baykal, on his way to Athens yesterday, responded to a comment from PM Erdogan ealier this week about how opposition forces were "using a tweezer" to pick apart his words. Erdogan had said this when he was denying that he had ever promised to reveal his personal fortunes. Baykal, at Ataturk Airport yesterday, said "If they think there is some legal blockade to revealing fortunes, some of the CHP MPs will immediately next week bring forward bills proposing how finances should be revealed to the public in the TBMM."
Talk of whether or not a new law requiring politicians to be completely transparent on the subject of personal finances is also circulating in Ankara back rooms. Meanwhile, opposition leader Baykal, on his way to Athens yesterday, responded to a comment from PM Erdogan ealier this week about how opposition forces were "using a tweezer" to pick apart his words. Erdogan had said this when he was denying that he had ever promised to reveal his personal fortunes. Baykal, at Ataturk Airport yesterday, said "If they think there is some legal blockade to revealing fortunes, some of the CHP MPs will immediately next week bring forward bills proposing how finances should be revealed to the public in the TBMM."