No consensus made on jailed MPs: Turkish PM

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Talks between Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek and the opposition parties have failed to produce a consensus on the jailed MPs, Erdogan says. DHA photo

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has voiced pessimism over the prospect of a cross-party compromise on a legal formula to secure the release of eight lawmakers jailed pending trial, putting the blame on disagreements between opposition parties.

Talks between Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek and representatives of the three opposition parties in Parliament have failed to produce a consensus, Erdoğan said.“The three parties have put forward three different approaches. But the approaches of the three parties should converge so that the speaker can bring us a proposal that we can discuss at our competent bodies. But if they are going to display diverging attitudes, the issue cannot be taken to the ruling party, as the speaker said,” Erdoğan told reporters late April 19 ahead of his departure for Qatar.

Meetings
Çiçek had met earlier in the day with senior representatives of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which have two, five and one deputy in jail, respectively. The lawmakers, elected from prison in the 2011 elections, are awaiting trial on charges of involvement in anti-government coup plots and separatist activities.
Çiçek is expected to convene a second meeting on the issue next week.