"If there are people among us who wish to acquire undeserved gains, they should keep away from us," said the prime minister. The AK Party, which first came to power in 2002 when Turkey was struggling with an economic crisis as a result of ongoing corruption acts from former governments, has so far managed to keep its name clear of any corruption claims. Erdoğan's remarks emphasized his willingness to protect his party's clean image at the cost of parting ways with some party members.Akşam daily's İsmail Küçükkaya thinks if Erdoğan's remarks suggest that those who are involved in corruption within his party ranks will be removed from the party, then this will have a huge impact on Turkish politics, assuming they can be put into action. "Although Erdoğan's statement seems to be targeting Şaban Dişli, it is possible to read between the lines of his speech that the prime minister is approaching the issue with a broader perspective. The AK Party's corruption sensitivity may be strongly felt in the local elections in March, and it could lead to surprising results," says Küçükkaya.
Yeni Şafak daily's İbrahim Kahveci says Prime Minister Erdoğan touched a very sensitive nerve in Turkey when he said his party never set its eyes on the bread of the orphans. In his view, Erdoğan was not only speaking for his party, but was emphasizing that the rights of those in need will be defended with the same sensitivity by the state administration in all public institutions. "It is impossible to expect Prime Minister Erdoğan to achieve such a difficult task alone, to defend the rights of those in need. The important thing in eliminating acts of corruption and in defending the rights of all people in society is to show sensitivity not only in ministries but also in bureaucratic institutions," writes Kahveci. In his view, independent institutions within the bureaucratic branch are crucial in this regard. "Turkey loses a partnership culture. Turkish companies can only receive loans when they need money, so they have fewer chances of establishing a partnership every passing year. The reason for this is the rights of the orphans, as mentioned by the prime minister," adds Kahveci.
Milliyet's Can Dündar says the "orphan" whose rights Erdoğan talked about is one of the unchanging heroes of Turkish politics and has been frequently mentioned by Turkish politicians on different occasions over the course of Turkey's political history. "This orphan is like an anonymous character like the man in the street. The orphan has received the attention of all the governments, and his/her rights have been diligently defended; however, the orphan mostly hears these remarks from the grave," says Dündar. Referring to Erdoğan's remarks on defending the rights of the orphans, he says Erdoğan has now participated in a strong tradition of Turkish politics.
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