Opposition summit met with criticism from
pro-Kurdish HDP over being left out
Feb 13 2022
http://ahval.co/en-136545
The Turkish opposition summit attended by the leaders of six parties on Saturday has sparked reactions from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), which was not included in the event.
HDP co-chairwoman on Sunday blasted the opposition leaders over the party’s exclusion from the working dinner, where the parties strategized about the future of the country's governing system and agreed on a roadmap to bring back the parliamentary system, BirGün newspaper reported.
“We will know very well how to ignore those who ignore us - when the time is right,’’ the newspaper cited Pervin Buldan as saying.
“With the exception of one party, if you were to combine the support for all of the other parties, it would not even equal to half of the votes of the HDP,’’ she added, noting that the HDP remained unconcerned and remain steadfast on its path.
The opposition parties will inevitably be forced to ask for our help, she added.
HDP, Turkey’s third largest party in parliament, was not present in Saturday’s event, which saw attendance from centre-left main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and centre-right Good Party (İYİP) leader Meral Akşener, as well as their smaller partners in the Nation Alliance, Democrat Party (DP) leader Gültekin Uysal and Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu.
In a joint statement released after the event, the party leaders stated that Turkey was going through one of its deepest political and economic crises, which they blamed on the presidential system, accused of giving sweeping powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Sunday defended HDP’s absence, saying that the main opposition party was not ignoring the group.
“We are holding talks with HDP. And when the need arises, we will talk to them again. They can always come to us if they wish to share their views,’’ BirGün cited the CHP leader as saying. “There is no problem.’’
Although never formally part of the opposition pact, the HDP, which received 11.7 percent support in the 2018 elections, has previously indicated it would be willing to back the opposition Nation Alliance as part of efforts to depose the ruling AKP.
Tacit HDP support is credited with helping the CHP’s Ekrem İmamoğlu win the 2019 mayoral election in Istanbul, a city controlled by Erdoğan’s and his allies since 1994.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu also weighed in on the event on Sunday, dismissing the summit as ineffective. “Even if you were to gather around 10 round tables, this nation will grant you (political opportunity,’’
Feb 13 2022
http://ahval.co/en-136545
The Turkish opposition summit attended by the leaders of six parties on Saturday has sparked reactions from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), which was not included in the event.
HDP co-chairwoman on Sunday blasted the opposition leaders over the party’s exclusion from the working dinner, where the parties strategized about the future of the country's governing system and agreed on a roadmap to bring back the parliamentary system, BirGün newspaper reported.
“We will know very well how to ignore those who ignore us - when the time is right,’’ the newspaper cited Pervin Buldan as saying.
“With the exception of one party, if you were to combine the support for all of the other parties, it would not even equal to half of the votes of the HDP,’’ she added, noting that the HDP remained unconcerned and remain steadfast on its path.
The opposition parties will inevitably be forced to ask for our help, she added.
HDP, Turkey’s third largest party in parliament, was not present in Saturday’s event, which saw attendance from centre-left main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and centre-right Good Party (İYİP) leader Meral Akşener, as well as their smaller partners in the Nation Alliance, Democrat Party (DP) leader Gültekin Uysal and Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu.
In a joint statement released after the event, the party leaders stated that Turkey was going through one of its deepest political and economic crises, which they blamed on the presidential system, accused of giving sweeping powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Sunday defended HDP’s absence, saying that the main opposition party was not ignoring the group.
“We are holding talks with HDP. And when the need arises, we will talk to them again. They can always come to us if they wish to share their views,’’ BirGün cited the CHP leader as saying. “There is no problem.’’
Although never formally part of the opposition pact, the HDP, which received 11.7 percent support in the 2018 elections, has previously indicated it would be willing to back the opposition Nation Alliance as part of efforts to depose the ruling AKP.
Tacit HDP support is credited with helping the CHP’s Ekrem İmamoğlu win the 2019 mayoral election in Istanbul, a city controlled by Erdoğan’s and his allies since 1994.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu also weighed in on the event on Sunday, dismissing the summit as ineffective. “Even if you were to gather around 10 round tables, this nation will grant you (political opportunity,’’
Milli Gazete cited Soylu as saying, while accusing the parties of funding Turkey’s LGBTQ organisations, which he has long condemned.
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