‘Oslo-like meetings still possible’

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Oslo-like meetings are still possible, but are not currently taking place Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay has said.

Deputy PM Atalay was asked by Kanal 7 television channel whether there was an ongoing Oslo-like meeting. “State institutions are not working on that kind of an initiative. But our work continues on that subject. There are some meetings and work with [Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud] Barzani and with northern Iraq, because there is Kandil and the Iraq borders,” he said. They are ready to take all necessary decisions, he added. “If necessary, we may hold that kind of meeting and do that kind of work. But not for now.”

Terror is not the problem of a single party, but the whole country’s issue, Atalay said, and the government’s struggle with terror should not be abused for domestic politics. Atalay said they had made sincere steps toward solving the problem and noted main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) spokesman Haluk Koç’s press meeting on Oslo meetings. “This is typical CHP. Someone gives them a file. They jump over it without investigating it deeply,” Atalay said, adding that the government has no agreement with any organization or person. “Some people may have some requests, thoughts and wishes, but no one has signed any document. State intelligence arranged such meetings but no agreement was made.” Atalay said. He said the CHP threatened to bring these meetings to the judiciary or to the Parliament, but they had also asked to find a solution to the problem.
Atalay said the CHP is an incorrigible nationalist party.

He said the main opposition party has not changed its practices since the single party era and that CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu cannot change the party policies.