‘CHP determined on Kurdish issue’

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

CHP Deputy Chair Gürsel Tekin says the government first needs to make up its mind concerning the resolution of the Kurdish issue and draw a clear road map. AA photo

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) remains dedicated to contributing to work aimed at achieving domestic peace and solving the Kurdish issue, CHP Deputy Chair Gürsel Tekin said yesterday, adding that the government first needs to make up its mind concerning the resolution of the Kurdish issue and draw a clear roadmap for a solution.

“Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] said one month ago that they will negotiate with politicians and fight with terrorists, but last week he said they would hold talks with [imprisoned PKK leader] Abdullah Öcalan, but not with the BDP [Peace and Democracy Party]. It’s obvious that they’ve changed their minds. The government first of all has to make up its mind concerning their roadmap for a resolution,” Tekin told reporters.

The CHP previously proposed establishing a joint parliamentary commission along with a commission of “wise people,” to discuss possible methods for solving the Kurdish issue. In line with the proposal, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met with Erdoğan to seek his support on the initiative in the summer. Erdoğan suggested that Kılıçdaroğlu set up a body consisting only of representatives of their two parties, leaving the BDP and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) out of the process. Erdoğan reiterated his call to the CHP on Oct. 2, saying “they are sincere in their call.” Swiftly replying to Erdoğan’s call, Kılıçdaroğlu said on the same day that they are open to further discussions. “We would meet them [again] when they come.”
“I don’t think the government has a [new] solution package for the [Kurdish] issue. If there had been a solution package, they [government] would not have drawn zigzags on this issue,” Tekin said, when asked to elaborate Erdoğan’s recent call to the CHP.