Turkish gov't criticizes Erdo?an over Kurdish process

A senior government official has criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an over his latest intervention into the government-led Kurdish peace process, describing the president?s remarks as emotional and personal. 

?His statements that ?I didn?t like it? or ?I don?t approve this and that? are his emotional remarks. The responsibility belongs to the government and we can regard his statements as his personal views,? Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesperson Bülent Ar?nç told reporters March 21. 

Ar?nç's statement constitutes the first public and straight criticism against the President by the government, signalling a disagreement between Erdo?an and Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu.

Ar?nç?s reaction came after President Erdo?an said on March 20 that he did not approve the formation of a monitoring committee as part of the Kurdish peace process although the government and the People?s Democracy Party (HDP) reached a deal on it. 

Erdo?an said he read the news on the newspapers and expressed his obvious opposition to the development although it marks an important milestone in running the peace process. 

Ar?nç made this statement on the very day Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) publicized a fresh call on the PKK to hold a congress as soon as possible to discuss the disarmament of the outlawed organization.

Although Ar?nç expressed his contentment with the Öcalan?s statement, he asked ?How would this statement (of Öcalan) be if (Presdient?s) statement would come a day ago?? 

?Our government regards this step an appropriate one. We also have a road map on who?s going to do what throughout the process. It?s the government that is running the country and the...