’Rivals engaged in a smear campaign’
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 16, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday lashed out at the opposition accusing it of launching a smear campaign against the government after an opposition mayoral candidate in Istanbul revealed claims of corruption.
"They are doing politics out of their lodgings to blacken (the government)," Erdoğan was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency in Samsun, a province in the Black Sea region.
Land purchased in Istanbul’s Eyüp district in 2004 by Istanbul Mayor Kadir Toğbaş’s relative Şevki Kavurmacı, Atasay Jewelery’s owner Cihan Kamer and late chairman of the Football Federation, Hasan Doğan, was abruptly donated, press reports said last week.
Value increased
The land’s value increased after it was declared a "green area" but the land was donated to the Football Federation immediately after opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP’s, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said the current mayor knew Kamer and accused the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, -led municipality of distributing unearned income.
"This mud, these allegations will not stick to the AKP. You cannot hide the truth. They should know this," said Erdoğan, asking the people of Samsun to ask for an account during the local elections set for March 29.
"Show you democratic reaction. Give the necessary answer both to (the opposition) and its supporting media," said Erdoğan.
In Kayseri, CHP leader Deniz Baykal said, "Kılıçdaroğlu raided a land attempted to be driven away" and called on his electorate to teach the government a lesson in the coming elections. Erdoğan said he would show once more the difference between the politics of services and the politics of blackening.
He also blamed what he called the "supporter media," which published corruption reports involving the AKP-led municipality. "They are dealing with any kind of abuse," he said.
Land purchased in Istanbul’s Eyüp district in 2004 by Istanbul Mayor Kadir Toğbaş’s relative Şevki Kavurmacı, Atasay Jewelery’s owner Cihan Kamer and late chairman of the Football Federation, Hasan Doğan, was abruptly donated, press reports said last week.
Value increased
The land’s value increased after it was declared a "green area" but the land was donated to the Football Federation immediately after opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP’s, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said the current mayor knew Kamer and accused the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, -led municipality of distributing unearned income.
"This mud, these allegations will not stick to the AKP. You cannot hide the truth. They should know this," said Erdoğan, asking the people of Samsun to ask for an account during the local elections set for March 29.
"Show you democratic reaction. Give the necessary answer both to (the opposition) and its supporting media," said Erdoğan.
In Kayseri, CHP leader Deniz Baykal said, "Kılıçdaroğlu raided a land attempted to be driven away" and called on his electorate to teach the government a lesson in the coming elections. Erdoğan said he would show once more the difference between the politics of services and the politics of blackening.
He also blamed what he called the "supporter media," which published corruption reports involving the AKP-led municipality. "They are dealing with any kind of abuse," he said.