PM signals possible referendum on paid military service

Speaking to a group of journalists on the plane taking him back to Turkey from Tataristan on Thursday night, Erdoğan said he does not want to make a decision on the issue. “Maybe, the nation can be consulted after the elections and we can work on this. But, I am not planning to make such a pledge. I am just saying that we can work on it if necessary,” he said.

The prime minister also held a press conference at Ankara Esenboğa Airport and further commented on the CHP's proposal, underscoring that the nation's attitude toward the issue would be the deciding factor on the issue.

“Will money in lieu of military service be allowed or not? The opinions of nation about this are very important. We would have already brought that about if we believed that this would not victimize some parts of society,” the prime minister said. Recalling that his party had passed a law that exempted police officers from compulsory military service and another one on enlisted soldiers, Erdoğan said these issues were solved in agreement with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). “We assessed the current situation of the country, the budget and the methods to implement them. But I see that the main opposition party is making this proposal to just make something. If we really have to work on this issue, we can take this to a referendum after the elections. Let our nation decide on that. I cannot take on such a responsibility. There are people who have money and there those who do not. My nation is not warm to this issue,” he added.

Compulsory military service has been a much-debated issue in Turkey, which has been fighting against terrorism for decades. Military service is compulsory for all healthy men in Turkey, and the length of service depends on one’s level of education as well as the military’s needs. Currently, university graduates with a four-year degree serve either for six months as a private or a year as a second lieutenant, depending on what is needed, while those who do not have a four-year bachelor’s degree are obliged to fulfill 15 months of military service.

The CHP is proposing a bill that seeks to allow a one-time opportunity for a payment instead of military service for those who are over 28 but have not yet completed their military service. A similar version of this arrangement is currently available to individuals who have worked abroad for a minimum of three consecutive years.

YSK decision unfortunate

During his interview with the journalists aboard the plane, Erdoğan once again expressed disappointment over a decision by the Supreme Election Board (YSK), which announced last month that, as in previous years, Turkish expatriates can only vote in the upcoming general elections scheduled for June 12 at customs gates, upsetting many Turks living abroad who had hoped to be able to vote at Turkish embassies. Turkey has about 2.5 million eligible voters residing abroad; however, only about 10 percent of them make the effort to go to the border to cast their vote. The YSK says it cannot allow electronic voting at Turkish missions abroad yet because the infrastructure for it is not in place. Recalling that the YSK made its decision when he was discussing the issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Erdoğan said Merkel had told him that there is no problem on Germany’s part and that she was ready to lend necessary support. It [the decision] is unfortunate.

Responding to a question on how he sees the situation of his party ahead of the elections, Erdoğan said he received great interest from the nation during recent ceremonies. “The local branches are also excited. We can get huge support from the nation in the elections through a strong election campaign. My colleagues are currently working on an election manifesto, which will be announced after the announcement of final candidate lists on April 11,” he added.

On press freedom

Erdoğan also commented on recent debates on freedom of the press which were triggered by the arrest of some journalists as part of the investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government. Stating that none of the journalists who are currently standing trial face charges over their journalistic activities, Erdoğan said they are mostly charged with being a member of a terrorist organization, attempting to destroy the constitutional order and blackmail. “There are more than 20 books about me and our president [Abdullah Gül] which include photomontage pictures and slanders. Can any of these be legitimate? Remember that a British journal ran a story about us. We sued it and we won,” Erdoğan said.

The prime minister was referring to a recent case in which he won a libel suit he had filed with a high British court against Britain’s Daily Telegraph. The court ordered the publication to pay 25,000 pounds in damages. Erdoğan sued the daily for alleging in a news story that he had accepted a $25 million donation from Iran to fund his party’s campaign for the upcoming elections.

Responding to questions on his recent remarks in which he said he is neither the prosecutor nor the lawyer of Ergenekon, Erdoğan said he is “the lawyer of the nation while the CHP is the lawyer of Silivri,” where Ergenekon suspects are imprisoned. “This is the difference between us. The CHP leader said I am the prosecutor [of Ergenekon]. We have never been a prosecutor. We have been the lawyer of the nation,” he said. The prime minister was referring to the CHP’s show of solidarity with Ergenekon defendants. Since the beginning of the second Ergenekon trial in 2009, CHP deputies have been flocking to the Silivri courtroom in order to lend support to Ergenekon suspects, and they have sat in the seats of defense lawyers. Former CHP leader Deniz Baykal had declared himself the lawyer of Ergenekon defendants.

When asked about the government’s recent efforts to address the judiciary’s problem of a heavy workload, Erdoğan said the physical conditions of the courts should first be adequate for a fast functioning judicial system and that his government opened more than 100 courthouses for this purpose. “We took further steps with the constitutional amendments [approved in a referendum on Sept. 12, 2010]. The high courts will now begin to function more expediently. Appointments have been made to the regional appellate courts. The cadres of these courts will be soon completed and these courts will lessen the burden of the high courts by half,” he added. Stating that it is unacceptable for a country’s high court to have a backlog of 1,700,000 cases, he said the citizens cannot trust the judiciary in such a country.