Turkey's Erdogan hails party's 10 years in power

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lauded on Saturday his AKP government's 10 years in power as a revolution in Turkey's understanding of politics, ending a military legacy and exalting the will of the people. "Not only a new party came to power... but a mentality revolution took place," Erdogan told his party's rank and file at an annual camp in Kizilcahamam near Ankara. Erdogan, whose Justice and Development Party (AKP) first won election on November 3, 2002 on a wave of popular support after years of unstable coalition governments, said his party introduced a new understanding of politics. "November 3 means the takeover of the administration by this glorious nation who said 'no' to bad governance," he said in a speech often interrupted by applause. Erdogan said the AKP believed in advanced democracy, rights and freedoms, not the "pro-coup" and "elitist mentality" which had domoninated Turkish politics for decades. "Genuine republicans who embraced the nation" came to power a decade ago, he said. After taking over the rule of the country, Erdogan has sought to tackle head-on the powerful military, the self-appointed guardians of the secular state which carried out four coups over half a century and had threatened the AKP with a political ban. "Neither the state nor the republic needs a guardian," said Erdogan. "Nor does the nation need a nanny. This glorious nation has the will and strength to protect its own republic and state." Erdogan's AKP government has trimmed the powers of the once-mighty generals through an extensive legal process which has seen more than 300 army officers put behind bars for alleged coup plots. "It might be possible to rule the country under the control of a handful of elites ... but in a democratic republic, you must take your strength from the people," said Erdogan.