Turkey’s main opposition leader feels ‘offended’ by PM’s lack of authority

ANKARA

CHP head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. DHA Photo

Turkey’s main opposition leader has said he feels “offended as a politician struggling for democracy” by the fact that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is repeatedly having his authority overridden by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Speaking on Oct. 24, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu painted a picture of a country where there is a governing crisis, with constitutional authorities having violated throughout the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) 12 years in government. The AKP has become “the state,” instead of a party governing the state, Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“Davutoğlu is not capable of governing turkey. Both the prime ministry and the presidency are vacant. We know that people are occupying those seats but they are not fulfilling their duties framed by the Constitution,” said Kılıçdaroğlu, reiterating his criticism of President Erdoğan’s constant political interventions.

“The prime minister is chairing the executive body. But who are the heads of [foreign] states calling? They are calling the president and bypassing Davutoğlu. They also know that Davutoğlu is not governing the country, it is somebody else. He may not be offended by this, but as the leader of this country’s main opposition and as a person fighting for democracy, I am offended by it,” he added.

The CHP leader also again compared the course of affairs in Turkey to the era before Nazi rule in Germany.