CHP ‘against all decisions to plunge Turkey into war’

ISTANBUL

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The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) “is against all decisions to plunge Turkey into war,” its leader has said.

“[Prime Minister] Ahmet Davutoğlu said ‘the CHP should choose its side.’ As was the case in the March 1, 2003 motion, the CHP is against all decisions to plunge Turkey into war,” Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu wrote on Feb. 14 on his Twitter account.

Kılıçdaroğlu was referring to a motion introduced by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2003 allowing the deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey and the deployment Turkish troops in Iraq as part of Washington’s military campaign against the Saddam Hussein regime. 

The motion was refused in parliament despite the AKP majority, with around 100 AKP lawmakers voting against it despite the AKP officials’ efforts.

Only days after the motion was refused, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan replaced Abdullah Gül as the prime minister. 

“The one who needs to choose a side is Davutoğlu, who favors Erdoğan’s interests in foreign policy rather than Turkey’s,” Kılıçdaroğlu also said.

“I find it only natural that those who make politics according to their personal calculations and interests cannot understand the CHP’s stance against war and terrorism,” he added.