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Erdogan Determines New Agenda: Back to Dialogue…Barracks in Taksim | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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People stand on a Turkish army tank at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir


Ankara-Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed his agenda for the coming period, represented in three major points: clearing the country of terrorist organizations, considering the nation’s demands of executing the perpetrators of the attempted coup and disregarding conflicts with neighboring countries.

Erdogan showed determination to build barracks in Taksim in Gezi Park, knowing that former government plans to remove this garden sparked a wave of protests in 2013. “We will start building barracks in Taksim whether they like it or not,” said Erdogan.

During his televised speech, the President promised the public to make an important decision on Wednesday during the National Security Council meeting.

Erdogan defended the arrest campaigns in various public facilities, denying exploiting the failed coup to put stranglehold on his opponents; 1,577 deans have been dismissed as announced by the Council of Higher Education and 15,200 government employees are being investigated with.

In an interview with CNN on Monday, the President said that his government should take the right decision with regards to the detainees, adding that an unjust person can’t get 52% of votes, hinting to his victory in the 2014 presidential elections.

Also, while attending a funeral in Istanbul following the attempted coup, Erdogan pledged to eradicate the cancer that is spreading inside the public facilities.

In a press conference with Republican People’s Party President Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Turkey is the country of Justice.

Yildirim affirmed that the Turkish government sent four files to the U.S. asking it to extradite Fathullah Gulen, describing him as the biggest terror.

“We will provide them with more than enough evidence,” about his involvement in the attempted coup, Yildirim added.

For his part, Kılıçdaroğlu stressed the importance of tackling any event under the legal framework and adhering to self-restraint.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted to reject statements of European Commissioner Johannes Hahn that the detainee lists were previously prepared.