( Cihan ) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the leader of the country's main opposition party, accusing him of "escaping from elections".
"We respect the decision of the Constitutional Court, (but) it will be much debated from the legal point of view," Erdogan said in his address to the members of his ruling party.
"The election of a president in parliament has been blocked... It is a bullet fired at democracy," he said.
But premier retreated after the Constitutional Court labeled his remarks "irresponsible" and an insult to judiciary independence.
Erdogan said his criticism was aimed not at the top court but at Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the main opposition party which had petitioned the court in a move to block presidential vote.