Turkish PM criticizes main opposition’s Syria stance

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the CHP of mobilizing the residents of Reyhanlı against the Syrians in the town in order to force Syrians to leave Turkey. AA photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized today the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) remarks after the attacks in the town of Reyhanlı.

“We are on the side of the victims. Unlike the main opposition party, we are not on the side of monsters with bloody hands,” Erdoğan said during his party’s parliamentary group meeting.

Erdoğan accused the CHP of mobilizing the residents of Reyhanlı against the Syrians in the town in order to force Syrians to leave Turkey. He said the CHP and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) had similar stances in this respect. Erdoğan accused the CHP leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, of provoking Alevi citizens and also giving unconditional support to the Syrian regime.

Erdoğan said Turkey’s Syrian policy was based on protecting the interests of Turkey and protecting neighboring people who were fleeing violence for humanitarian reasons.

“We have made efforts to find solutions to Syria and regional problems. We do not have any problems with the Syrian people. We have problems with the cruel dictatorial regime in Syria,” Erdoğan added.