Gaza crisis proves Turkey has lost its weight in regional, global system: CHP

ANKARA

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu speaks to CHP's parliamentary group on July 22. AA Photo

The ongoing Gaza crisis has proven once again that Turkey has lost its regional and global weight at the hands of this government, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, stressing that harsh statements issued by senior government officials were not enough to bring about concrete results.

“Turkey is no longer counted [in international efforts to resolve the Gaza crisis]. Why is that? Because Turkey no longer has weight in the region. Where are Turkey’s words heard? In Syria? In Iraq? Only in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Do Westerners know? Yes, they know. The U.N. secretary general [Ban Ki-moon] knows it too. Turkey is no longer on the page,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in a speech to his parliamentary group on July 22.  

“Turkey is isolated. Turkey does not deserve this,” he said, adding that the U.N. Security Council was convened upon the call of Jordan, not Turkey.

Recalling that Ban Ki-Moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were currently holding a regional tour to resolve the problem in Gaza, Kılıçdaroğlu stressed that previous such visits to the region also came to Turkey.

“They do not stop by. They think it has no use. We would have no problem if we had a prime minister consistent in his words and in his acts,” he said, adding that Erdoğan’s “inconsistency” had caused distrust in Turkey’s partners. “The main reason for this distrust is too much talking with no action. He talks 20 times a day. But what are you doing? Nothing. Foreign policy [issues] cannot be resolved by just talking.”

Kılıçdaroğlu repeated his accusation that Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu were the main figures responsible for the turmoil in the Middle East, and echoed Israel and Egypt’s criticisms that Turkey and Qatar prevented the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. “What the hell you are doing with Qatar? You are responsible for every dying child … You pressure [Hamas] not to accept the cease-fire. Why?” he said.

Kılıçdaroğlu also recalled claims that the trucks belonging to Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT) that were stopped by the police in January were carrying weapons to jihadist terror organizations in Syria. “What does he [Erdoğan] say? Does a Muslim kill a Muslim? It’s you who is killing. It’s you who is giving weapons to them. Can there be such a thing?” he said. “What game did you plan in the region? You became a toy of the entire world.”

He also underlined that the opposition parties’ joint presidential candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu offered a very good opportunity for Turkey to “regain its credit and weight in the region.” “He has weight in the Muslim world, in the Middle East and in the West. His words are heard. This creates a good opportunity. If Turkey wants to get out of the Middle Eastern quagmire, if it wants to be a respected country, then the whole of Turkey should vote for İhsanoğlu,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.