Turkish Culture & Tourism Minister resigned

Mumcu said, "I have seen that no chances remained for my contribution to AK Party and the government. I have decided to resign. My personal and political ethics do not let me to stay at ministry seat which I cannot contribute."

When asked whether he resigned due to debates in yesterday’s Council of Ministers meeting on pardoning of students expelled from universities, Mumcu said, "there have been various disagreements in yesterday’s and previous meetings. This is quite normal."

"However, I don’t want to sign underneath solutions with which I don’t agree," he added.

When asked whether he met some members of Republican People’s Party (CHP) and they had an initiative to form a new party, Mumcu said that he did not have such a meeting, adding that these claims were baseless.

Mumcu said that he did not have the chance to convey his resignation to Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Although I have been in an effort to talk these issues privately with Erdogan, I did not have the chance. But if we had talked, nothing would change," he added.

The main reason for his resignation was the need to create choices in Turkish politics, Mumcu noted. "Turkish politics cannot survive long in this environment that lacks alternatives."

Mumcu said that he supports the stability of Turkey and wished success to the government.

Meanwhile, Turkish State Minister & Deputy Premier Mehmet Ali Sahin said regarding the resignation of Mumcu, "there was not a deep disagreement between Mumcu and the government."

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not comment on the resignation.