Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey HARDtalk

With me Zeinab Badawi, from Istanbul, for this special

I am at the presidential palace and my guest is the man inside, the

president of Turkey, whom coup plotters tried to remove from power

exactly one year ago. On the first anniversary of that failed coup, I

asked him what his response is to critics who say he has used it as a

pretext to purge all of his opponents. President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan, welcomed the HARDtalk This time last year there was the failed

coup. The country came together like never before. What has happened to

that spirit of unity? But that's the point. Everybody came

together. People of all ages, from different political persuasions,

came out saying, we are for democracy, we are against the failed

coup. But that spirit of unity has now gone and there are many critics

inside the country and outside who say that you are using the failed

coup as a pretext to clear all opposition against you. Not just the

coup plotters. But we saw an unprecedented march

from Ankara to Istanbul. Its slogan was 'law, rights, justice'. The

feeling is, or the strong belief, that you are really pursuing anybody

who criticises you. It's a case of if you're not with me, you're

against me. But that's the point I was making.

Millions came out after the failed coup. Now you see people coming out,

marching in protest, which is why my original question to you was what

has happened to that spirit of unity?

I want to ask you specifically about the fact that journalists feel that

they are not able to speak out openly, that the first thing, and

secondly we've got to the stage where Turkey locks up more

journalists than any other country in the world. In the last year with

scene 160 media outlets close down, we seem to govern 500 journalists or

media workers sacked from their jobs, you have 150 journalists in

prison, which accounts for a third of all journalists in prison

globally. What is it that makes you fear freedom of speech?

Right, well, as I said, the figure is from Reporters Without Borders

and there have been many people, European leaders and critics within

the country, who have said that if the state of affairs. You have given

your answer. Now we have nearly 200,000 Turkish citizens who are

either detained, sucked or suspended from their jobs. Politicians,

academics, journalists, we mentioned, following the failed

coup. I want to ask you this. While you are waiting to see whether the

courts find them guilty or not, how are they going to survive if they've

lost their jobs? They also have dependents, they have elderly

relatives, children. What happens to these people without jobs?

But those who were sacked and suspended from their jobs, Mr

president, how are they expected to survive? Does the Turkish government

provided with social security payments? Because they have been

stripped of their livelihoods. What happens to their families if they

can't work again? You mentioned the fact that you say

that they are guilty of being coup plotters, therefore they are

supporters of the US -based cleric living in Pennsylvania, you have

asked the US for his extradition. You had a meeting with President

Donald Trump not that long ago. What did he say to you about extraditing

him, who denies involvement in the coup?

Relations with the European Union are pretty much at an all-time low

between Turkey and the EU, in particular Germany. What exactly is

the problem between you and Chancellor Angela Merkel?

Do you personally believe that Turkey is better in or out of the

European Union? What is your personal opinion?

Mr President, it sounds like you are saying you personally believe Turkey

would be better out of the EU. Or, not...

What about the United Kingdom? Because the Foreign Secretary Boris

Johnson of course has Turkish ancestry and he wrote very rude:

about you. Has he apologised about that and has that incident in any

way damaged UK- Turkish ties? No, I was just...! I was just asking

if he perhaps apologised to you for having a Schleck did he apologise?

Talking about the United Kingdom of course, post- Brexit, your Prime

Minister has said in talks that he had with Theresa May, the British

Prime Minister, in February but after Britain leads the United union

any bilateral deal, trade deal, between Turkey and the United

Kingdom would have to be based on the fact that there would have to be

freedom of movement for Turkish citizens between the UK and Turkey,

if there is to be a bilateral deal, that is the condition. Is that the

case? But will you say, as your Prime

Minister has stated, that it is a condition of any bilateral trade

agreement between Turkey and the UK post- Brexit that there has to be

freedom of movement for Turkish citizens?

So it's an objective? Turkey is a really pivotal nation. In that you

have the second-biggest army in Nato and when it comes to this

neighbourhood, the Middle East, it's a very, very tough on anti- plate he

rolled and given the tensions between Qatar and four other Arab

states, and one of the conditions that have been put on Tata is that

the Turkish military base be closed, gives a more military personnel so

it's simple question really, do you think there is a danger that the

tensions could escalate into something militaristic and what

would be your response? Would you be a party to such a conflict if it

happened? You mentioned Syria and of course

the talks going on in Geneva to try to see if there is any way forward

on Syria. Is there a future for President al-Assad for any shape or

form in the transition or otherwise, is there a future for him?

I think it's about 600,000. What about...? What about the PKK which

is of course at organisation as far as the United States, the European

Union and of course Turkey is concerned. What is the possibility

of seeing the start to a process that could bring about a resolution?

And finally and very briefly, the referendum on constitutional changes

means that if you wish you could stand for presidential elections in

2019 for two five-year terms which means if you when you could be in

power until 2029, are you going to be running for president in 2019,

possibly after that? President Erdogan of Turkey, thank

you very much indeed for coming on HARDtalk. Thank you.

With the weekend fast approaching, please don't make this the last

We'll be fine-tuning the details because we will have some

But one thing's for sure, it won't be as hot as it's