CHP includes 'struggle against terror' in election declaration

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

DHA photo

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) will include proposals regarding the struggle against terror in its revised election declaration for the Nov. 1 election.

The party will underline “equal citizenship” and address parliament for a solution to the problem in its declaration, which is expected to be announced on Sept. 30 by party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. 

The CHP leader will kick off rallies after the announcement of the declaration, but the election campaign trial will not be as busy as it was for June 7. 

The CHP will also inform about its party attitude for coalition talks after June 7 and stress the advantages for Turkey if a coalition government was formed. 

The CHP received 1644 applications, while the 131 lawmakers elected in the June 7 election will hold their places on the election candidate list. The party will work on candidate lists for some provinces such as Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Tunceli and Mersin.

In its election manifesto for the June 7 parliamentary election, the CHP promised measures to boost economic welfare and growth, as well as reforms to strengthen the rule of law and the parliamentary system.

The party also promised a solution to the Kurdish issue through a parliamentary commission and a national political consensus. The process should be transparent and remain within a legal framework, according to the manifesto.

CHP leader meets KDP delegation 

Meanwhile, Kılıçdaroğlu met a delegation of representatives from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of northern Iraq on Sept. 14.

The delegation included Fazıl Mirani, Hemen Hawrani, Safin Dizai, Ahmed Kani and Abdulselam Rashid, according to a written statement by the party. 

Murat Özçelik from the CHP received the delegation.

On Cizre curfew

Kılıçdaroğlu also objected to a curfew declared in the southeastern Cizre district of the Şırnak province, saying the practice could not be a “game” at the hands of the state.

In his Twitter post on Sept. 14, Kılıçdaroğlu likened the curfew in Cizre to “on-off democracy.”

“A state of siege is neither a game at the hands of the state nor is democracy a value that can be lifted,” he stated.

Cizre has been under curfew on and off for two weeks, as security forces sought to suppress locals who have dug trenches to keep out armored personnel carriers and erected sheets between buildings to hamper efforts of snipers from security forces. Scores have been killed by security forces since the beginning of the siege. 
The army says it is conducting an operation to apprehend militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the city.

The curfew was imposed on Sept. 4 and lifted Sept. 12. A second curfew has been declared in the district on Sept. 13 for one day, less than 48 hours after the last controversial curfew ended.