Prime Minister slams CHP for ‘acting with HDP’ against constitution changes

ANKARA

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım slammed the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for “acting with the [Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party] HDP” in criticizing government-supported constitutional changes ahead of a key referendum this spring.

“They are exaggerating the constitutional amendment, saying ‘it will lead to regime change,’ ‘the apocalypse is coming,’ ‘the country is slipping away.’ Who says so? The HDP takes a step and the CHP puts its foot in the same place,” Yıldırım said on Jan. 27.

“They did the same thing at parliament. Apparently they will join the ‘no’ choir at rallies in squares,” he added.

“What happened to Atatürk’s party? Is it right for Atatürk’s party to be arm-in-arm with those who want to divide the country?” Yıldırım said. “,” he said.

“I don’t understand why the CHP is opposing the change … There is no issue of regime [change], nor is Turkey at risk of division. On the contrary, in the presidential system the country will be embraced more and more, together with all its different sects and marches. It will make the national will become more dominant,” he added. 

“The CHP’s mind has aged. The CHP prefers to stay in the past,” he added, quoting the words of 13th century Sufi poet Mevlana: “The word of yesterday has gone, my love, along with yesterday. Now is the time to say new things.”