Main opposition CHP leader slams gov't over Syria policy
DENİZLİ
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçaroğlu has slammed the government’s foreign policy in Syria, saying Turkey is now stuck in Idlib, between two super powers.
“The blood of Muslims is being shed in Syria. Muslims are killing each other. Who is handing out the arms? U.S. [gives arms] to one side, Russia to the other, saying ‘here you go, kill each other.’ Why is Turkey being an instrument to this?” Kılıçdaroğlu said on Sept. 17.
The CHP leader’s remarks came during a speech in western Denizli as he was visiting the party’s municipalities in the province.
“What are we doing in the Middle East swamp? Who drove us here? We need to question these,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
He added that questioning the foreign policy is not a matter of partisanship, but rather, concerns the national interests of Turkey.
“Now, we are stuck in Idlib. There is [U.S. President Donald] Trump on one side and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin on the other. It will not be a surprise if 3.5 million Syrians [in Idlib] knock on Turkey’s door,” he said.
The Syrians only escape from the war-torn country is Turkey, yet the latter is in no position to host 3.5 million more refugees, according to Kılıçdaroğlu.
“What kind of foreign policy is this? How is this serving the nation’s interests? Our children are unemployed, but we give $40 billion [to Syrians]. Why?” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
According to official figures, Turkey is hosting over 3.6 million Syrian refugees and asylum seekers, yet the real figures are different, the CHP head claimed.
“The number of Syrians [in Turkey] is over 5 million. We know this,” he said. “Everybody should mull this over.”
However, Turks should not blame Syrians, given that they escaped from the war, Kılıçdaroğlu said.
“We get mad at them, why? You should be mad at the ones who brought them here,” he said.
Turkey is a powerful country in the Middle East and has the capability to invest in the region, yet is having economic troubles, according to the CHP leader.
“There is an unemployed person in every household. We have 8.5 unemployed people. In my view of politics, if a father is unable to give his child pocket money, I will not be able to sleep that night. You cannot ignore such a tragedy,” he said.
Kılıçdaroğlu once again brought up the issue of a government decree to transfer the right to operate the national tank factory to BMC Turkish-Qatari venture for 25 years, saying “a nation’s arms factory is a nation’s honor.”
“Those supporting the ruling party, give me an example from the globe. Who would make benefits of a national arms factory available to another country?” he said.
