Gül also shared his views on a range of topics from the Kurdish question to the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa.
When asked his opinion on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recently expressed desire to see Turkey under a presidential system, Gül said, “My personal opinion is far from the presidential system.” He said the debate on a possible switch to a presidential system was not an issue Turkey was considering, but the topic had recently come up after Erdoğan was asked a question about it by a journalist. Gül said discussing the issue would be useful.
He said he agreed with views earlier stated by the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD) that Turkey should strengthen its parliamentary system instead of looking elsewhere for a new government structure. “Others apart from TÜSİAD have also been saying this,” he added.
Gül was speaking to a group of Turkish journalists in the lobby of a hotel in Jakarta during the first official visit by a Turkish president to Indonesia in 16 years.
“If we were newly making a transition to democracy, then you would consider changing the parliamentary system. But a presidential system is radically different. The legislature is completely independent. Political parties are not going to be the same as they are today,” he said. In response to a question whether he would refer the question of adopting a presidential system to a referendum, he answered, “Possibly, but these are things to talk about after the elections.”
He also praised Indonesia’s recent experience of democracy which had reduced the role of the military. He said the same thing could be said of Turkey after the April 27, 2007 memorandum. “Those are things of the past they were in the old Turkey. Now there is the new Turkey.” He said something like April 27 could never be repeated again.
Gül also spoke about the Kurdish question, reiterating his earlier remarks that it was Turkey’s most important issue. “That is how I used to see it when I was a member of parliament and this is how I see it as the president. Since this is our own problem, we should talk about it among ourselves and stop it from being a problem for Turkey. Anybody with a conscience would acknowledge the developments [regarding the Kurdish issue] in the past two years. These are also evident from the outside. Great things have happened in the past two years. Foreigners used to intervene earlier, now they can’t find any reason to. But since some pain and difficulty is still being experienced, I hope [the government] will return to this topic.”
He also shared his thoughts on the role Turkey can play in the face of uprisings in Syria, Yemen, Egypt and Libya. “Perhaps, the best thing Turkey can do is to contribute indirectly. That can be possible by Turkey strengthening itself in every aspect, consolidating its democracy, human rights record and economy. This has had an incredible effect on our neighbors. Trust me, they follow Turkey more closely than those living in Turkey. Our responsibility is not only before our own people, but before a wider region. We don’t have the luxury to fail. Turkey should focus all of its energy on democracy, human rights and the economy. This will be of immense contribution to our surrounding region. We need to increase our standards.”
Gül said he was one of the first leaders to visit Egypt after the uprisings and said he had the opportunity to talk to a number of figures from various backgrounds while he was there. He said he felt that developments in Egypt were on the right track. “Those at the helm of the Egyptian army are aware of the realities. They want what the people want, and that’s nothing to be afraid of and they are leading the process. They have made constitutional amendments, and they will make other changes after the elections. The influence of Egypt on other Arab countries is tremendous. I come from a background that gave me the opportunity to understand both the West and the East. I have had the opportunity to get to know all Islamic countries closely.”
He said the last thing Turkey would want to see in Syria, which shares an 800-kilometer border with Turkey, is for it to fall into instability. “Those who are at the helm of the country are aware that radical reform is needed; however, they are not sure on how to go about that. I told them that it would be in their favor if they acted with self confidence. No country in the Mediterranean can continue with a closed regime.”
