Ankara

The polemic between Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ar?nç and Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek is over, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has declared, vowing zero tolerance for those in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) conducting in-house quarrels in public ahead of the parliamentary elections.

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ar?nç has admitted that his harsh public accusations against Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek were wrong but that he had to protect his personal rights, even as he warned the mayor that he would lose if he goes to court.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has described the row between Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ar?nç and Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek as ?wrong in terms of our party?s rules and discipline.?

The government is facing a major internal division, as demonstrated by the recent row between Deputy PM Bülent Arınç and Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, with CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu predicting that there is “more to come.”

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted a proposal on March 23 for a constitutional amendment to set the age of candidacy at the parliamentary level to 18.

The aim with the change is to encourage more young people to get involved in politics, the proposal said.

The Ankara State Opera and Ballet (ADOB) has increased its audience numbers and income to a large extent since the opening of the new season in October 2014, according to figures from the organization.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ar?nç has declared that Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek is corrupt and has "no manners," in an unusually frank speech amid intra-government clashes, hours after the latter called for his resignation.

Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek has called on Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ar?nç after he engaged in a war of words with President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an over the Kurdish peace process.

 Turkey will reserve swaths of Aegean if Athens procrastinates, sources say

Ankara is insisting that Greek and Turkish authorities begin talks on confidence-building measures before the end of this month otherwise it will reserve large swaths of the Aegean for military maneuvers as of April 1, Kathimerini understands.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) boycotted the 76th Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission (KPK) meeting on March 19 in protest at the "autocratic rule" of the Turkish government and its "insincere and oppressive" policies.