Intelligence head’s move to run for parliament shows agency was politicized: CHP leader

ISTANBUL

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The resignation of former National Intelligence Agency (MİT) Chief Hakan Fidan to run in the upcoming general elections shows that the agency has become politicized, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said.

“We were saying this before, but they were denying it. Now the truth has come to light,” Kılıçdaroğlu said on Feb. 11.

He said democracy has been “badly damaged” over the past three years, particularly referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and four former ministers who were involved in the corruption allegations that arose in December 2013.

“The person who has been elected as president does not follow the constitution, does not abide by the oath he took, and defies the constitution. Meanwhile, think about how the four ministers who were allegedly involved in corruption were cleared [of the accusations] by [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP lawmakers at parliament,” Kılıçdaroğlu added, describing the current period as “a time when morals and laws have been erased.”

The CHP head said his party only needs four years in power to solve the country’s problems, unlike the AKP which has been ruling the country for 12 years.

Fidan’s role in peace process may continue

Meanwhile, sources have said that departing MİT head Fidan, who was one of the key figures in the Kurdish peace process meetings, would still able to attend the meetings upon an order or invitation by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu if necessary, even after his resignation.

There was no legal obstacle to giving Fidan special permission to attend the meetings at İmralı Island Prison, where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan is serving a life sentence, according to sources from the Prime Ministry.

İsmail Hakkı Musa, who has been appointed as the new acting head of MİT by Davutoğlu, will reportedly now attend the peace process meetings.