Turkish main opposition leader lashes out at both Erdoğan, Davutoğlu over presidential system

ANKARA

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Both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu have violated their oaths of office over the government’s move to seek Erdoğan’s consent for its election manifesto, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said.

“We know how concepts like honor and pride are important for all people. That’s why people take oaths on their honor, so they can assure society. The people expect them to keep their oaths. Erdoğan went to parliament and took an oath to be impartial. But he did not keep the oath,” Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters on March 30.

His words came after Erdoğan revealed that Davutoğlu had submitted the draft election manifesto to him last week and he was “satisfied” with it. According to the Turkish constitution, the president should be completely bi-partisan and must not have ties to any political party. 

“I just want to ask one question: What is the concept of honor and pride in your mind?” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

He also criticized the president for prioritizing the presidential system as an immediate issue facing the country, despite many other problems like unemployment and poverty.

“Who elected the 550 current lawmakers? The people. So who has put them in the waiting room? [The president] should respect the people. But he calls himself the people. This understanding is very detrimental to democracy,” the CHP leader said, referring to Erdoğan’s recent statement that the parliamentary system is in the “waiting room” before its replacement by a presidential system.

Kılıçdaroğlu also slammed the government’s last-minute move last week granting a secret discretionary fund to the Presidency, although one is already assigned to the Prime Ministry.

“The secret fund is money that was entrusted in honor and can only be used for the national interest.

The one who uses this money has responsibility. The person responsible for the secret fund is the prime minister. Why do you grant money to someone who has no responsibility? This shows that even the prime minister will not know where this money will be spent,” he said.

“Is this prime minister a paper prime minister? Is he a primary school student?” Kılıçdaroğlu asked, accusing Davutoğlu of not fulfilling his full responsibilities as prime minister.

“Why do you sit in your seat if you are not capable of preparing your own election manifesto? There is a duality in the government,” he added.