Turkish main opposition leader calls on Davutoğlu to 'prove he is prime minister'

ANKARA

CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu speaks during his parliamentary group meeting on Oct. 14. AA Photo

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu should first prove that he is Turkey’s prime minister if he wants to be taken as the opposition’s political counterpart, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has said, criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s constant political interventions.

“You should first prove that you are prime minister. Are you the prime minister or not? It’s not me who doesn’t recognize that you’re prime minister,” CHP head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu told his parliamentary group on Oct. 14.

Recalling that Davutoğlu had underlined that the opposition’s political counterpart was himself as prime minister, not President Erdoğan, Kılıçdaroğlu said the president’s repeated political interventions were weakening Davutoğlu’s position.

“We will accept you as our interlocutor, but your brother is telling us ‘Not him, take me as your counterpart.’ Why? ‘I appointed him as prime minister; I can drop him whenever I want.’ Ahmet Bey says, ‘The president is above politics.’ Well good morning to you. There’s no longer such a thing as being above politics over the past week,” Kılıçdaroğlu stressed.  

“We did not attend the presidential oath-taking ceremony. Now we see how this was the right decision,” the CHP leader said, adding that Erdoğan was already violating the oath he took on his honor.

“What honor and dignity are you talking about? The same reaction should also be given by Davutoğlu himself, reminding Erdoğan ‘You must be impartial.’ Anyway, all citizens should know that both seats, the presidency and the prime ministry, are now empty,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.

CHP lashes out at MHP

The CHP head also criticized the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) for voting in favor of the government-led motion allowing Turkish troops to be deployed to Syria and Iraq and allowing the deployment of foreign troops to Turkey.

“Did you know what you were voting for, Mr. Bahçeli?” Kılıçdaroğlu asked, referring to MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli.

“The motion you voted for allows the deployment of foreign troops in Turkey. You claim that you voted because of the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party]. Is there a need to deploy foreign troops here to fight PKK? Or to establish buffer zone to fight the PKK? Whenever the government feels itself in need, you know who serves as its crutch,” he added.