Interim government not impartial, at Erdoğan’s service: CHP leader

ANKARA

Cihan Photo

The interim government formed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu with the task of taking Turkey to polls on Nov. 1 is not impartial as it must be, Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, claiming it will be “at the service” of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

“In an environment where the constitution is violated, constitutional customs are ignored, and in the absence of the rule of law, this cabinet will only serve the presidency and the government,” Kılıçdaroğlu told daily Cumhuriyet in an interview published on Aug. 30. 

He recalled that he was not given the mandate to try to form a government by the president after Davutoğlu’s failure, which led to the CHP’s refusal to nominate ministers to the caretaker government although it had five reserved cabinet seats. 

“This new cabinet will only serve the presidency and the government. It is out of the question that it will serve the country. This is the reality,” the CHP head said. 

He said the cabinet was not composed of “impartial” figures, citing Customs and Trade Minister Cenap Aşçı who was appointed as a minister after being rapidly promoted as the undersecretary for the same ministry on Aug. 27. 

“Based on what qualification have you appointed him as a minister?” Kılıçdaroğlu said. “Is this a new government? No, it’s not. Under normal conditions, the interim government should be formed by an independent prime minister.” 

Early polls have ‘vital importance’

Kılıçdaroğlu repeated his criticism of Prime Minister Davutoğlu for ruling Turkey “through instructions imposed on him from the presidency.” 

“If this country is being ruled through instructions from the presidency, then it means that the prime ministry is nonfunctional. That’s why this upcoming election is more vital than any others. Either chaos will be deepened and an open-ended period of instability will begin, or the rule of law and democracy will prevail. A country cannot be sacrificed for just one person’s ambitions and one family’s interests. Remember that [Roman Emperor] Nero burned Rome. These people today are not only burning Ankara, but the whole of Turkey,” he said. 

Turkey also needs to question the political understanding that brought about early elections, Kılıçdaroğlu said, accusing Erdoğan of violating the presidential oath he took last year, of not respecting the people’s will, and of overruling the principle of separation of powers. 

“We should question those who play so much with the values of the country,” he added.
 
No changes in CHP deputy lists

In a separate interview with daily Milliyet, Kılıçdaroğlu stressed that his election campaign would mainly focus on the fact that Turkey’s fundamental problems can “only be resolved by the CHP.” 

“Turkey is in a bloodbath. The government has experienced a great loss of credibility both inside and outside the country. The MHP [Nationalist Movement Party] is opposed to almost everything and could never healthily govern the country. The HDP [Peoples’ Democratic Party] is seemingly left out of the political equation. There is only one party left: The CHP,” he said. 

The party’s deputy nomination lists for the election will not be changed, Kılıçdaroğlu added, while also stating that he would not be holding as many public rallies as he did in the last parliamentary election on June 7. 

“Changing the deputy lists would be unethical,” he said. 

Call on the HDP

The Kurdish question remains one of Turkey’s fundamental problems, the CHP leader said, while calling on the HDP to be more outspoken against terrorist acts committed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“We can solve this problem if we come to power. If we can’t solve it then we’ll quit [the government]. You need to be sincere and honest to solve it. You must not have a personal and hidden agenda in doing so,” he said. 

“The HDP should speak more loudly; it should openly accuse the PKK [over recent violence],” Kılıçdaroğlu added.