“We want a consensus to be established; those who back the democratic initiative will definitely be welcomed,” Erdoğan said in a press conference on Monday when he departed for the US to attend the UN General Assembly. He added that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) must continue to work toward a final settlement of the Kurdish question because the opposition will maintain its strong stance against the initiative. When a reporter said the government will send an invitation to Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal to inform him of the process and to discuss the government's recent steps regarding the initiative, Erdoğan said the invitation will not have detailed information on the process but will briefly explain the method the government plans to pursue. He said the most critical point centers on support for the initiative from the opposition because the government wants to exchange views with all sides backing the initiative to give it its final shape before bringing it to the agenda of Parliament.
“Our wish is for all segments of society to take a risk for a resolution; thus, we want broad participation in the process to find a solution. We don't want the initiative to be seen as a project of the AK Party government. Our hope is that it will be realized through consensus,” he added.
Erdoğan stated that he will discuss the developments regarding the democratic initiative in his talks with several leaders. “I think it will be helpful to explain the democratic initiative to our friends in the international arena,” Erdoğan stated. He also addressed rumors circulated by circles that have been running campaigns to denounce the democratic initiative, saying that “it is beneficial to share the positive consequences of the initiative with our friends.” Answering a reporter's question on attempts aiming to normalize relations with Armenia, Erdoğan said relations between Armenia and Turkey are a problematic area for the country, adding that the government has been continuing work on the Armenian issue and hopes to be successful. He also touched upon problems faced by minorities and said that the government is working to remove these difficulties.
