CHP issues AKP ‘conditional credit’

ANKARA

CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu (C) and deputies arrive in Parliament. DAILY NEWS photo

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said on Tuesday that his party is issuing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) “conditional credit” over talks with the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“In my address to the [CHP] Party Assembly on Saturday, I issued the prime minister new credit. But we have four conditions for this support. First, he must be sincere and honest. Second, he must seek no secret personal agenda. Third, he should not engage [in any agreement] that he cannot explain to the people. And fourth, he should inform the main opposition and the people about the talks,” Kılıçdaroğlu said at his party’s parliamentary group meeting.

“We do not trust the prime minister, that’s why we are issuing only conditional credit. Now, he should resolve the [Kurdish] problem properly, otherwise he will be responsible for every martyred soldier,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The CHP leader’s similar use of words while lending support to government’s recent talks with the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan annoyed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Jan 6. “What credit will you give? You, yourself, are in need of credit. What credit are you talking about?” Erdoğan asked.

The CHP leader also responded to Erdoğan’s proposal to establish a two-party commission to “work on Kurdish issue.”

“Societal reconciliation cannot be measured in votes. Some say the sum of vote rates of the AKP and CHP is over 75 percent, but what about the other 25 percent?” he said.