Bahçeli slams opposition over post-quake politics

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has accused the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) of trying to exploit the post-disaster emotions of the people, vowing that the people will respond to them in the elections to be held soon.

“Chairman of CHP [Kemal) Kılıçdaroğlu has argued that [the government] did not deliver tents, containers and mobile toilets to the victims of the earthquake. It seems that Kılıçdaroğlu is in a coma. He has transferred his mind and political ethics to the [foreign] powers,” Bahçeli said in his weekly address to his parliamentary group on Feb. 28.

“Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, what is more important to you: Being a presidential candidate or showing empath and respect to the Turkish people and Türkiye? What will change if you have taken the full consent of the CHP parliamentary group for the presidential candidacy?” Bahçeli asked.

Arguing that the CHP rejected urban transformation plans and introduced zoning amnesty bills to the parliament, Bahçeli said, “The real agenda of the CHP does not concern earthquake and reconstruction.”

The MHP leader said he observed in his visits to the earthquake-hit region that life is in a process of returning to normalcy, and the state institutions are working hard to fulfill the needs of the survivors.

“Container cities have been set up in 130 spots in 10 provinces. There are too many people affected, and they are spread over a wide area. In this regard, it is only normal that some services were late and insufficient,” he suggested.