Speaking to reporters one day after his landmark meeting with the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lauded "the positive development."
Erdoğan met Özgür Özel at the headquarters of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the capital, Ankara, on Friday.
"His visit after his election as chairman is a positive development for government and the main opposition," Erdoğan said. Özel replaced Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in a November election and is credited with turning around his party’s fortunes through unprecedented wins in the March 31 municipal elections. The AK Party has conceded some of its strongholds to the CHP for the first time in decades. Erdoğan said Özel’s visit was a step that indicated a period of "softening" in Turkish politics. He said it was unfortunate that such steps were not taken in the past.
"I told Mr. Özel that I would return his visit at the first opportunity. Türkiye needs this; Turkish politics needs this. I want to launch this period of softening in politics," he said.
The groundbreaking meeting between Erdoğan and Özel took place in a constructive and productive atmosphere, and the president will pay a return visit soon, sources said Thursday.
Erdoğan greeted and welcomed the CHP chair in the hallway to the meeting room.
According to CHP sources, the two sides covered a distance in resolving some issues. AK Party sources said the president would soon visit Özel at the CHP headquarters in Ankara. They also said Erdoğan congratulated Özel for his party's victory in the municipal elections and said that the main opposition party gained ground after Özel replaced former CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The issues included the new constitution, the economy, pension payments, municipal debt and other problems, including Wednesday’s May Day incidents.
They also exchanged presents: President Erdoğan gifted Özel a set of coffee cups from the National Palaces, while Özel gifted Erdoğan an object entitled "The Fire of the Republic."
The meeting lasted 1 hour and 35 minutes. Özel nor the president made a statement following the meeting and the latter went straight to the CHP headquarters to evaluate the meeting with fellow party staff.
AK Party Deputy Chair Mustafa Elitaş accompanied Erdoğan, while CHP Istanbul Deputy Namık Tan accompanied Özel during the meeting.
The meeting marked the first official talks between the two politicians since Özel was elected to lead the CHP last November and the first meeting between Erdoğan and a CHP leader in the past eight years.
Prior to that, Erdoğan and Özel briefly met during an event on April 23, a national holiday.