AKP, MHP reject inquiry about ISIL, PKK terror

ANKARA

CİHAN photo

The Turkish Parliament debated recent terror attacks that killed dozens of civilians and security officers in a heated session on July 29, as the Turkish army continues its aerial strikes in northern Iraq and Syria. 

A proposal for the establishment an inquiry commission by the Republican People’s Party (CHP) was rejected by votes from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
 
Meanwhile, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) supported the proposal. CHP and HDP lawmakers then protested the AKP-MHP rejection of the establishment of the commission.

Lawmakers from the four political parties came together upon the initiative of the CHP, with the intention of discussing a terror wave by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the last 10 days.

“We warned the government about the birth of the ISIL and we have submitted necessary motions to the parliament for an in-depth examination but all have been rejected by the government,” deputy parliamentary group leader of the CHP, Levent Gök said in his address to parliament. “If we do not form a commission to inquire into the ISIL threat, what else will we do?”

Speaking on behalf of the government, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç gave updated information about the week-long crack down on terrorists inside Turkey, saying 1,061 persons have been arrested as part of security operations across the country. Refuting claims that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) had helped the birth and strengthening of ISIL in Syria and elsewhere, Arınç said, “I do not accept accusations against our government, who designated the Daesh [the Arabic acronym of ISIL] as a terror organization. A western country could act differently but we have different conditions. I condemn describing our government as side by side with ISIL.” 

Osman Baydemir, Şanlıurfa deputy from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), reiterated his party’s calls for peace and criticized the statements by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu that announced the end of the Kurdish peace process.

“We are all responsible for the death of our people. Let’s give hand in hand. This geography survived for 1,000 years by alliances. If this parliament says ‘yes,’ including the AKP, this war will surely stop in 38 hours,” he said. 

Murat Özçelik, deputy CHP leader, criticized the government for tolerating the growth of ISIL in Syria as well as in Turkey, through establishing logistics cells with nearly 10,000 Turkish citizens joining the jihadists. “It’s not possible to resolve Turkey’s national security problems. There is perception this parliament is not involved in efforts to resolve the country’s problems. What we have to do as lawmakers is to give hand in hand for the settlement of these issues. We need to know against who we are fighting,” he said. 

Ümit Özdağ, from the MHP, slammed the government over the Kurdish peace process, although he welcomed the military’s recent campaign against the PKK. But his main target was the HDP, saying, “We will never buy their fake calls for peace.” 

“The best way is to re-seize the Southeastern Anatolian region from the PKK. The way to do so is the implementation of the fight against terror,” he added.