Turkish deputy premier denies resignation reports

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on Thursday denied media reports that he had decided to resign from his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party but was dissuaded by the Turkish president. "The news story that appeared in the Taraf newspaper is groundless. I state with such sadness that this isn't a product of a good will," said Arinc in a written statement. The news story alleged that Arinc stormed out of a cabinet meeting on June 10 after a tense row with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Gezi Park protests, and that he was dissuaded by President Abdullah Gul from resigning. "We have discussed many inclusding the Gezi Park protests in that cabinet meeting. Alternative solution proposals were covered," he said. "Claims that I walked out of the cabinet meeting, my resignation from both my ministerial post and the AK Party, friends trying to persuade me to change my mind and eventually our president's stepping in and dissuading me from resigning are all groundless. Also this news article is a continuation of the Gezi Park scenarios," Arinc said.