Right to resist is universal, religious: Turkish main opposition leader

ANKARA

AA Photo

The citizens’ right to resist against oppression is both a universal right and it complies with religion, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said in his criticism over a security draft bill pushed by the government.

“The right to resist is a universal right. It means resisting against cruelty and oppression. It has place in our faith, too. The surrender against oppression is not included in our book [the Quran],” he said Feb. 10 while addressing his party deputies in parliament.

Kılıçdaroğlu was referring to a fresh polemic between himself and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who criticized him earlier this month for being a provocateur when he vowed to lead protesters against the security bill.

In his Feb. 10 address, Kılıçdaroğlu blamed Davutoğlu for distorting his previous speech by saying he was bidding to “march in front of people who are carrying fire bombs.”

The parliamentary debate on the draft was suspended for a second time by the government on Feb. 9, as the remaining three parties have pledged to resist it.

Kılıçdaroğlu colored his speech with scenes form the Gezi Park protests in the summer of 2013, which spread across the country, turning into a wave of anti-government demonstrations.

Kılıçdaroğlu recalled a sole man standing at Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, who was later imitated by thousands of others. “This is the right to resist,” he said. “The police come with batons and someone hands them a clove. This is the right to resist. The anti-riot car fires water cannons and someone screams ‘go on, fire more.’ This is the right to resist,” he said,

“We want a first-class democracy in our country. We do not want a third-class one or oppression or violence. We want to live our lives as a civilized society. And most of all, we want peace in our own country,” he said, accusing the government for leaving aside all such values and insisting on the draft that suggests decorating the police with more power.

“Come on, have the bill passed [at the parliament] and see what happens,” he challenged the government.

Kılıçdaroğlu also promised to tell 1.7 million Syrians in the country to go back to their homeland, lending support to them in Syria.

“I will bring peace to Syria, Iraq and everywhere,” he said.

Syrians in the country are replacing unqualified workers for one-third a salary per day, which witnessed in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“The actor behind such a picture is clearly the [ruling] Justice and Development Party [AKP],” he said.

Meachwhile, Union of Bar Associations of Turkey (TBB) President Metin Feyzioğlu, along with members of the TBB administration board and the heads of provincial bars, held talks with executives from the parliamentary groups of the CHP, the MHP and the HDP on the controversial bill. 

“An unnamed martial rule will be declared with the security package. We wish for common sense to prevail and the package to be withdrawn,” Feyzioğlu told reporters after their meetings at parliament.

The package is aimed at “silencing and oppressing dissident voices,” he said. 

“What we need in order to fight terror is democracy, human rights and freedoms. Terror cannot be fought by suspending democracy,” he added.