Rift over peace talks rocking main opposition

ANKARA

Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy chair Gülseren Onanç speaks at a press conference. AA photo

Stakes are high again in the main opposition party, with a deputy chair known to have been from the reformist wing having resigned from her post upon a request by the party leader and a deputy known to have been from the neo-nationalist wing being sent to the discipline board. Both cases are related to differing stances concerning the government-led resolution process aimed at ending the three-decade-long conflict between security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy chair Gülseren Onanç’s resignation came upon her public declaration that 65 percent of the CHP base is supporting the resolution process and CHP Uşak deputy Dilek Akagün Yılmaz was sent to the discipline board because of her remarks against CHP deputy chair Sezgin Tanrıkulu, in which she called him a CIA spy. Onanç resigned from the Central Executive Board, thus also her deputy chair post, late April 17 after holding a meeting with CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

“I believe that, despite the drawbacks of the fact that political governance is carrying out the resolution of the most important problem of Turkey with a single-sided attitude while excluding the opposition and with mistakes in method, the CHP must put forward its political approach in an open and clear way,” in a statement earlier today.