Main opposition leader ‘expects Erdoğan to condemn violence’

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet, the district mayor of İzmit and, also, the only mayor in Kocaeli province from the CHP.

Addressing the reporters during his visit today (January 20), Kılıçdaroğlu referred to the recent physical assaults and threats targeting opposition politicians and critical journalists across Turkey.

'He must fulfill his duty'

The main opposition leader specifically criticized the remarks of Ömer Şanlı, the Vice Chair of the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves (or Idealist Hearths) Training and Culture Foundation, which also has close ties to Devlet Bahçeli's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

CLICK - MHP says opposition 'entering in dangerous waters,' journalists critical of it 'internal enemies'

After Future Party Vice Chair Selçuk Özdağ was attacked in the capital city of Ankara on Friday, Şanlı addressed the prosecutor conducting the investigation into the incident and said, "Our recommendation is that he should abide by the law and should not strike out in waters where he would drown, just to show people how man he is."

Referring to these remarks, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "A threat to a prosecutor is of considerable importance as it shows the current state our country has found itself in." Addressing President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he briefly stated:

"At this point, Erdoğan should publicly condemn this attack and demand that the perpetrators be put on trial. 'I called him and extended my get-well-soon wishes.' That is not it. You will address 83 million, you will make a call to 83 million. You will say, 'We definitely do not accept such incidents, we do not accept violence, we condemn it.'

"If he can do this, I think it will mean that he has fulfilled his duty. Erdoğan has to fulfill this duty. We are waiting."

Commenting further on the threat to the prosecutor, CHP Chair said, "You will investigate the incident, but the prosecutor who investigates it is threatened. It is inconceivable. Those who threatened him are obvious, their focal point is obvious; this needs to be tackled with determination. You might like or not like the political views of a person, but you need to provide an environment where he or she can express them."

Call to Erdoğan and Bahçeli

Further in his speech, Kılıçdaroğlu reiterated that President and AKP Chair Erdoğan and the government ally MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli should make a statement to the public. Kılıçdaroğlu briefly said:

"They need to state, 'We are really sorry about what has been happening. Turkey does not accept it. We are against violence. Those using and encouraging violence must be caught and put on trial.' Their silence means that they encourage violence. We do not accept this."

'Vaccination schedule is uncertain'

Kılıçdaroğlu also answered a question about the ongoing vaccination in Turkey. He said that "no vaccination calendar was presented to the public."

Noting that Turkey needs 10 to 30 million vaccines for an effective immunization, while 3 million have been delivered so far, he noted that no one, including 600 MPs at the Parliament, civil society organizations, health workers and medical institutions, knew how many vaccines would be delivered to Turkey or from whom these vaccines would be purchased.

CLICK - 'Single COVID-19 vaccine is a major problem for Turkey'

The first batch of 3 million doses of the vaccine developed by China's Sinovac arrived in Turkey on December 30, 2020.

After health care professionals, Turkey started vaccinating residents and workers in care and nursing homes against COVID-19 yesterday. (DŞ/SD)