Erdoğan, Turkish government in deep rift: HDP

ANKARA

DHA Photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the government are experiencing a deep rift, according to the co-leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), who has expressed distrust in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

“Now it is seen that the government thinks that the peace process is disarmament only. There is a deep rift between the president and the government,” HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş said during a televised interview on Med Nuçe channel.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and his team know well about the recent debates, as they were convinced of a monitoring committee for the talks with Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), however, the president has said he is against such a group and Öcalan’s 10-article declaration made public by the government and HDP deputies, according to Demirtaş.

“If the government builds a monitoring group, the negotiations will continue,” he said.

”We will spend efforts not to give way to a ‘resolution crisis.’ But the problem within the AKP is a crisis for the party. And maybe it will be food for Turkey if they cannot solve it,” he added.

His remarks came after Erdoğan said the government cannot take further steps in the peace process unless the PKK lays down its arms and takes concrete steps to foster peace.

“Peace is not possible under the shadow of arms ... We cannot move forward in an environment in which promises are violated repeatedly unless we see concrete steps,” Erdoğan said March 23.

On March 20, he had objected to the formation of an “independent” committee to monitor the peace process, which was previously agreed upon by the government and the HDP.

In response to Erdoğan, who said it was wrong for the government and party members to take a picture together with members of the HDP, government spokesperson and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said March 22 that the government “loves the president” but has its own “responsibilities.”