Erdoğan calls on Kılıçdaroğlu to 'reveal details of deal with HDP'

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 26 urged opposition Nation Alliance candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to reveal the details of their agreement with the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), now also known as the Green Left Party (YSP).

"A lawmaker of the PKK-linked YSP announced that Kılıçdaroğlu signed an agreement with them and we understand the content of that agreement from the statements of HDP members," the president told a live broadcast on aHaber. He noted that these pledges include releasing the HDP's imprisoned co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been in jail since 2016. He faces multiple trials including his main case, in which he could be sentenced to 142 years if convicted on terrorism charges. Releasing the PKK's imprisoned ringleader Abdullah Öcalan is also one of HDP's goals.

"Kılıçdaroğlu says vote for me if you want Selo (Demirtaş) to be released from prison. What type of law is this?" Erdoğan asked, noting that his pledge violates the principle of the rule of law as it interferes with the judiciary's decision.

Meanwhile, the president also criticized Kılıçdaroğlu for scattering promises around to garner votes in the second round of elections.

On Thursday, the main opposition sent text messages to some mobile numbers, claiming that if elected, he would clear outstanding interest for credit card debts and would restructure the debt. The messages were sent in violation of the country's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) regulations, which prohibit sending propaganda texts and emails to citizens ahead of elections.

"What type of a lie is this?" the president said, and continued: "With whose approval will you pass the budget law when the People's Alliance has a majority with 323 lawmakers?"

The president argued that Kılıçdaroğlu has no clue about the way Parliament works, saying that if he attempted to pass a budget with his "surreal pledges" to clear such credit card debt, he would fail because he does not have a majority, therefore, his pledges are baseless.

"Do not fool the people," he said, adding that Kılıçdaroğlu does not know anything about the budget commission or Parliament.