Turkey’s EU accession to advance rapidly under CHP rule, party leader says

ISTANBUL

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Turkey’s European Union accession process will “advance rapidly” if main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will come to the government after the Nov. 1 snap election, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said in an interview Oct. 9.

“The [EU accession] process will advance rapidly. We won’t wait for the EU to open a new chapter. Whatever standards the member countries have for democracy, law, gender equality, judicial independence etc., we will carry them out,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in an interview with Euronews Channel. 

“So, we will surprise the union. The union will see that without opening a new chapter, Turkey will have already fulfilled all of the criteria,” he added.

Kılıçdaroğlu also accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of “sabotaging” the June 7 general elections for not giving the mandate to the CHP after Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Ahmet Davutoğlu failed to form a coalition government.

“The one who sabotaged the elections in a way is the one who lives in the palace, Mr. Erdoğan,” said Kılıçdaroğlu, upon a question asking why his party wasn’t chosen to form a new government. 

“Regarding the constitution, he [Erdoğan] needed to be impartial, he neglected impartiality. He was present at the election campaigning rallies. And he asked for votes openly, for the party that he used to be the leader of. He didn’t want a coalition; he was really worried about this,” said the CHP leader. 

“Even he said it would be suicide if Davutoğlu had formed a coalition… Now we are heading for another election,” he added.

CHP promises coalition government

Kılıçdaroğlu also said the CHP will “definitely form a coalition government” after the Nov. 1 elections, granted the party gets enough votes to form a single party government and the CHP comes in first. 

“If we become the first party, and if we are charged with forming a new government, we will definitely form a coalition government. Turkey has no tolerance to wait or go to another election. The problems are getting deeper and bigger,” he said. “We are already in contact with all the political parties in the parliament. We’re the only party that’s in contact with all of them. We are in contact with the [Nationalist Movement Party] MHP, the [Peoples’ Democratic Party] HDP and the AKP as well,” Kılıçdaroğlu said. 

“There are two polar opposites in our parliament, HDP and MHP. Even these two agreed on CHP involvement, underlining that we need to be part of a coalition.”

Responding a question over the CHP’s stance on the Kurdish peace process, Kılıçdaroğlu said that the CHP is the only party able to solve the problem. 

“The reason that this problem couldn’t be solved until now is because politicians have not carried out their duties. They always took this issue as a security issue and they charged the security forces and army with solving this problem. There should be a reconciliation commission in the parliament... If we can succeed in carrying on this social reconciliation, we can solve this problem. If there is any party that can solve this problem, it is the CHP,” he said.

Responding to a question over the low votes the party received from eastern provinces, Kılıçdaroğlu said, “There has been polarization for years. There’s an ethnic separation. Therefore, Kurdish people vote for the HDP.”

“We asked them ‘look, the CHP has done everything to solve this problem and outlined a road map. Why don’t you vote for us?’ They say ‘because we have our own party, we will vote for it.’ We acknowledge and realize this separation. Turkey will find solid ground when this problem is solved,” he added.

Kılıçdaroğlu also said “the West is not acting with goodwill,” regarding the refugee crisis. 

“The West understood the importance of the work Turkey was undertaking, only when refugees started going to the West. And they said, ‘the refugees shouldn’t come to our countries.’ They said, ‘We give you the money, they stay in Turkey.’ We don’t accept this,” he added.

“There needs to be a rapid end to the internal conflict in Syria We should let Syrians return back to their own country,” Kılıçdaroğlu said. 

Euronews also asked of his election promises. The CHP leader said they wanted to change “the constitution, the election law and the internal regulations in parliament,” paying special attention to media freedom.

“Now there are great oppressions on the media in Turkey. Instead of changing the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup law, this law is reinforced, strengthened. We see it clearly [used] on the press,” he said.