CHP to seek annulment of decree laws beyond initial consensus

Decree laws issued under Turkey’s recently declared state of emergency were similar to the ones issued during past coups, Kılıçdaroğlu said. 

Recalling that more than 12,000 teachers were discharged under the last KHK, the CHP leader said that if there were teachers who were acting on orders from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), they should be tried, adding it was however not possible to understand the dismissal so many teachers. 

“If there are those directly linked to the PKK, those who act on orders of the PKK, put them on trial, dismiss them if they are found guilty,” the CHP leader said. 

“But it is not understandable to dismiss so many teachers. Even those who are known as Atatürkçü [loyal to the values of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk] and those who are loyal to values of the republic have been suspended. There have been many unjust treatments,” he stated, adding that in some provinces almost half of the teachers were dismissed. 

Academics, including some who signed a petition denouncing military operations in the southeast on charges based on the most controversial articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) but later withdrew their signatures, were also dismissed as part of the decree law, Kılıçdaroğlu noted.  

The CHP leader recalled they had reached consensus with the government on the first decree law, however adding that subsequent laws under the state of emergency were full of inappropriate practices.

The CHP will assess these practices after the Eid al-Ahda holiday, Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding the party wanted to discuss the issue with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım.