Kurdish peace bid on target of plotters: Turkish PM Erdoğan

ŞANLIURFA – Anadolu Agency

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a rally in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, March 9. AA photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen of attempting to stop the ongoing process to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue while addressing people in a rally in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa March 9.

“This person in Pennsylvania [a reference to Gülen, who lives in the United States in self-imposed exile] is making attacks in a treasonous way in order to prevent the peace process, and unity and solidarity of the country. He is not alone; he is doing this by using the [main opposition Republican People’s Party] CHP and the [Nationalist Movement Party] MHP,” Erdoğan told the rally.

“This ally [of Gülen, CHP and MHP] which failed to sabotage the peace process with the Oslo process and Feb. 7 [National Intelligence Organization] MİT incident, are thinking that they will succeed with the Dec. 17 coup attempt,” said Erdoğan, referring to an ongoing massive graft and corruption probe opened on Dec. 17, 2013, that featured suspects including the sons of three ex-ministers.

“[Gülen] has cheated the CHP and the MHP. He told them that he would have force down the government on Dec. 17. He told them that ‘We have critical files. If these do not work, we have montages, dubbings,’” said Erdoğan, adding that these traps had been foiled as people did not believe the graft claims against the government.  

The prime minister also called on people not to send their children to houses or schools belonging to the Gülen movement, saying the government would provide space for the students “even if hotels have to be arranged.”

The rift between Erdoğan and Gülen movement started after the government’s move to close down the prep schools, a large number of which are owned by circles close to the Gülen movement.  The tension between Erdoğan and Gülen became apparent after Erdoğan accused Gülen over the leaks and the Dec. 17 graft probe.