Turkish PM Erdogan dismisses reports on early election

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday ruled out holding a general election before its scheduled date in 2011, dismissing media reports this week that he might bring the vote forward by one year.



Speaking at the inauguration ceremony for new terminal of the International Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul, Erdogan said his ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party was committed to hold parliamentary elections on time.



"From now on, elections will be held on the announced date. They may be pulled forward by one or two months, that's different," Erdogan told reporters, according to the state-run Anatolian news agency.



Erdogan's ruling AK Party swept to power in 2002, becoming the first single-party government in more than a decade. It was re-elected in 2007 by the biggest margin of votes in 40 years.



Media reports circulating over the past few days claimed that he talked to main opposition leader Deniz Baykal about an early election. Erdogan denied reports and said, "it is against my principles."



"Why would I share such a thing with the main opposition (Republican People's Party)?" he said. "All these reports are lies."



Erdogan also said that "early election talk" would give harm to Turkey. He said such a talk caused a negative effect on the stock market over the past two days.



In recent months the AK Party has faced hostility from opposition parties over its policy on Kurdish inititive to help end a 25-year war with PKK separatists.



It has also been criticised for agreeing to open diplomatic relations with its arch rival and neighbour Armenia, plans to draft a more liberal constitution and for other European Union-inspired measures the government hopes will bring it closer to membership of the bloc.