Erdogan promises new war on militants

THE Turkish president yesterday promised new military operations against Kurdish militants along its border in Syria and Iraq as he presented his election manifesto.

Before thousands of supporters in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan described next month’s snap presidential and parliamentary polls as a “milestone” for a strong Turkey. The country would “take the stage as a global power”, he said.

Mr Erdogan called elections more than a year earlier than planned for June 24, a move analysts say partly aims to capitalise on nationalist sentiment running high following a successful campaign that ousted Syrian Kurdish militia from the Syrian border enclave of Afrin.

In reference to a cross-border offensive in Syria 2016 and to the one in Afrin, Mr Erdogan said: “The operations will continue until not one terrorist is left.” The elections are hugely important as they will transform Turkey’s governing system to an executive presidency, ushering in a constitutional change that was narrowly approved in a referendum last year.

As part of the reforms, the office of the prime minister will be abolished, with its powers largely transferred to the president.

An alliance of opposition parties, who argue the new system will lead to one-man rule, have vowed a return to a parliamentary system with strong checks and balances.

Aiming to ease fears over Turkey’s economy, Mr Erdogan promised lower interest rates and inflation and to reduce the current account deficit.

Meanwhile, Muharrem Ince, 54, the presidential hopeful nominated by the Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s main opposition, threatened to hold campaign events in front of television stations to protest the scarce media coverage of his initial election rally.