Turkish PM brings down tone of political debate: CHP deputy head

MUĞLA – Doğan news agency

Deputy head Umut Oran made the comments during an opening ceremony of a city park in the southwestern province of Muğla on March 16. AA Photo

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is responsible for the declining quality of discussion in Turkish politics with his speeches during the election rallies, a representative of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has said.

Deputy head Umut Oran made the comments during an opening ceremony of a city park in the southwestern province of Muğla on March 16.

Complaining about the deteriorating language of the speeches ahead of the upcoming local elections, Oran said: “I am sadly watching, the wording of the politics is very bad. When we look at the speeches at the rallies, Prime Minister Erdoğan took the [quality] level to zero. He is still insulting others at rallies.”

Oran also said that the understanding of local governing and politics were different for the main opposition CHP and the ruling Justice and Developments Party (AKP), adding that CHP was working to solve the public’s problems.

If the park, which was set to open in the ceremony, were to belong to a municipality from AKP, they would built a high rise building or a shopping mall, Oran said, claiming that Erdoğan was thinking about the rent (income) when he saw a plot of land or green.

Oran also criticized the government for not protecting its own citizens and accusing Erdoğan of being remorseless for his remarks on Berkin Elvan, the 15-year-old Gezi victim who died after 269 days in a coma after being hit by a gas canister during protests in June.

“You don’t [protect your citizens], let police to use disproportionate violence and then say ‘using tear gas is the right of police.’ You said ‘the police were legendary,’” he said.

Oran also targeted Interior Minister Efkan Ala, saying that some regulations like the ones from the Nazi era were starting to be seen in Turkey.