CHP ‘brought up hostages to agenda over and over again’

* Photo: Raşit Aydoğan / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Central Executive Board convened in Ankara yesterday (February 15).

Speaking about the meeting chaired by CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Spokesperson Faik Öztrak addressed a series of issues on Turkey's agenda, especially the military operation in Iraq's north, during which 13 security personnel held by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) died.

Talking about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and people's economic problems as well, Öztrak briefly stated the following:

'The resolution process of "my person"'

"Terrorism is a crime against humanity. Regardless of where and from whom it comes, it is a crime against humanity if one expects a benefit from it or stays silent in the face of it. We condemned, condemn and will condemn terrorism and terrorists of every stripe.

"This beautiful land has suffered so much from terrorism. And, yesterday, the hearts of 13 families bleeded for their loved ones. The CHP brought up the issue of public officials taken hostage by the PKK separatist terrorist organization to the Parliamentary agenda over and over again.

"All of the officials taken hostage by the PKK were abducted in 2015 and 2016. So, during the resolution process which started in a wrong manner, was taken away from the nation's parliament, attempted to be managed behind closed doors and led by the government of 'my person'...

"The families of the martyrs and the nation have paid the price for the mistakes made in that process. Learning a lesson from mistakes is a merit. You cannot fight separatist terrorism by being separatist yourself. One needs to act reasonably, wisely and with commonsense.

Call for national mourning

"The ones governing the country should not cater to the interests of separatists while trying to cover up their own flaws. Yesterday, we learned that we had 13 martyrs. Our nation is in a deep mourning.

"But, today, we watched Erdoğan, the Chair of the AK Party, at his congresses. Jokes, slogans and all... Our heart has sunk. While the heart of our nation is bleeding, we take these images with sadness.

"Today, in Erdoğan's speech, we learned that 13 public officials fell martyrs during an unsuccessful rescue operation. He himself said that it had failed. We have got all the sadder upon hearing this. We, as the CHP, want a national mourning to be declared.

Low test numbers - low case numbers

"The number of daily COVID-19 cases is over critical levels. The number of tests used to reach 180 thousands, but it is now below 104 thousands.

"A low number of tests means a low number of cases. Despite this fact, we rank among top 10 countries of the world in terms of total case numbers.

"Restaurants are closed, saying that it is for struggle against the outbreak. But the AK Party Chair who governs the country organizes congresses with music and without social distance. That being the case, one should not be surprised at the spike in the outbreak.

"Those who said that they would vaccinate 1 million 100 thousand people a day could do only one tenth of what they had said. The total number of vaccine jabs in a month is 3 million 900 thousand.

'Scientific autonomy'

"Scientific autonomy at universities has been put aside. 68 university rectors had no publications, 71 rectors do not have any work that has received international reference. 20 university rectors are from the AK Party.

"With political appointments to a very few quality universities in Turkey, Erdoğan is trying to make these schools similar to others; he is doing inappropriate things at Boğaziçi University. He does not listen to the young.

"The pogrom media of the palace, I mean, the lynch machine of the palace, has one again targeted our young people.

"They allowed the trips without social distance at Uludağ and reported on the festive pictures taken there, saying 'Boğaziçi students are having fun'. It is literally deplorable." (EKN/SD)