“Bey” is a sign of respect used after a first name in Turkish, but it is usually not used in politics, where the word “Sayın,” which roughly translates as “esteemed,” precedes the last name. Erdoğan has two first names, but he goes by Tayyip, as in Turkey the first name is usually treated as the middle name.Speaking to journalists on Tuesday night on board a commercial airliner en route to Brazil for an official visit, Erdoğan responded to a question on what he thought of Kılıçdaroğlu’s style of addressing him, saying: “You look at what the prime minister is saying. The prime minister is making no effort to respond to this or that person. I am not on the defensive, I am doing my job. I am flying to Brazil, to Argentina. All I care about is how we can sell more goods in these markets. We are not amusing ourselves, we are doing our job.”
He said he would not respond to any questions from the press on what he thinks about Kılıçdaroğlu’s preferred way of addressing him. “Please don’t ask this,” he said to his questioner. “You can’t draw Tayyip Erdoğan into such speculation.”
On another topic, Erdoğan said the Prime Ministry and the Justice Ministry were working on new legislation to prevent illegal wiretapping of homes and offices.
He also spoke about the recent appointment of Hakan Fidan as the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) undersecretary. “I think he has already studied the shortcomings with our intelligence system. He will, of course, be sharing this with us. We will sit and talk, because MİT is one of the top sources for the Presidency and the General Staff. That is the place we consult, particularly for foreign intelligence; that is why we have to turn it into a more active institution.” He also denied that MİT was experiencing financial difficulties.
Erdoğan’s Latin American visit
Erdoğan’s visit to Latin America will last six days. He will visit Brazil first, where he will attend a forum of the Alliance of Civilizations and have talks with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He will then continue on to Argentina. The two countries are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year. Erdoğan will have talks with the Argentinean president, and a large number of agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.
