Erdoğan slams Nation Alliance for cooperating with HDP

ANKARA

The opposition bloc has long been in covert cooperation with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on March 22.

The HDP has been the seventh partner of the “Table of Six” from the very beginning, Erdoğan said in a televised interview.

“We know the [Republican People’s Party] CHP and the HDP have maximum commonality. The HDP has risen above the table,” the president said.

“HDP equals PKK. We’ve always said this. Where is the CHP’s place in this equation? Let my people think about it. My citizens are national, local, not a prisoner of imperial minds,” he said.

The Nation Alliance has invited the “extension of the terrorist organization in the parliament to the table,” he said and added that the opposition bloc work with the logic of coalition and
negotiating for the number of lawmakers in return for the presidential candidacy of CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

“Now the HDP has sat at this gambling table with all its existence by not nominating a candidate. HDP supporters state that their demands must be met in the face of the support they will provide. These demands are determined by Qandil,” Erdoğan said, referring to the PKK headquarters in the Qandil Mountains.

Elaborating on the People’s Alliance, Erdoğan said their bloc focuses on principles rather than negotiations over parliament seats.

“Our door is open to all political parties with domestic and national political ideology and is at peace with the values of the people,” he stated.

The People’s Alliance is the address of being local, national, and sincere, he said, noting the Free Cause Party (Hüda-Par) is also aligned with the principles of their alliance.

“If there is no harmony, we cannot walk in the People’s Alliance. Currently, there is an ugliness to be attributed to Hüda-Par. Hüda-Par does not accept these, it says, ‘We have nothing to do with terrorism.’ It is a completely local and national structure. I find Hüda-Par‘s support to the People’s Alliance important and valuable,” he added.

Elaborating on the Ukraine war, Erdoğan said Türkiye displayed a successful negotiation process between the warring sides.

Erdoğan added that he will hold a new phone talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet Moscow’s fertilizer needs.