Visiting the Istanbul Governorate, President Gül made statements about FM Davutoğlu’s talk with the Israeli Minister and the internal political agenda.
President Abdullah Gül paid a visit to the Istanbul Governorate where he had a talk with Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu.
Gül: Servicing Istanbul Means Servicing Turkey
During his speech he congratulated the Istanbul Governor, the President asserted: “Servicing Istanbul is like servicing Turkey, which is a great honor. Istanbul is a mixture of Turkey with people coming from the four corners of the country. It’s everyone’s duty to protect and cherish this city. Making citizens of Istanbul happy means making the whole of the country happy. Istanbul’s culture, arts, literature and economy are indeed Turkey’s strength. Therefore, I wish all the authorities and officials serving here every success.”
TALK BETWEEN DAVUTOĞLU AND ISRAELI MINISTER
On the talk between the Turkish FM Davutoğlu and Israeli Minister of Defense, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, President Gül said it was normal to conduct talks, saying: “There is a big problem. They have demanded to talk. What is important is not whether they have conducted this talk but what they have discussed.”
SUPPORT FOR THE GATHERING OF THE POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS
The President also responded to a query about the possibility of a gathering of the government and the other political party leaders to discuss the recently increasing terrorist activities in the country, noting: “We are facing pressing matters today, which should not be made into issues of polemics. Everyone should act in self confidence. You must remember that I have had tete-a-tete talks with all the party leaders in detail before. It is right for the government and the other opposing party leaders in Parliament to have talks. In such an important situation, participation is crucial.”
He continued his speech as follows: “Pluralism fosters democracy. Different ideas and different ways are necessary for it. On the other hand, when Turkey has a very important problem, all concerned party leaders should sit at the same table and talk.”
On his Twitter account, the President stated that he did not consider using Twitter as a means to deliver his political ideas but rather a social networking site.
After having visited the Governorate, President Gül performed the Friday prayer at Yeni Mosque, where citizens displayed great enthusiasm for him.
