Turkish opposition parties hit hard at Fidan move

ANKARA

AA Photo

All three opposition parties in parliament have reacted to a U-turn by former intel chief Hakan Fidan, who was appointed back to his seat as head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) after resigning to run as a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate in the June 7 elections.

“Is it your backyard?” asked Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), referring to Fidan as he addressed the party deputies in parliament on March 10.
The MİT should remain national, he said, hinting that it has lost its non-partisan stance.

Fidan’s decision to withdraw points to a division between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, according to the opposition leader.

 “One calls the MİT chief and says that he will have him as a deputy. The other one calls and says ‘do not resign,’” he said.

Fidan had decided to return to his seat after strong negative reaction to his candidacy by Erdoğan.
Kılıçdaroğlu also argued the prime minister was ineffective, as he did not stand behind his decision to have Fidan as a candidate.

Oktay Vural, the deputy leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) parliamentary group, also said March 10 that it was not right for a person who had declared his political intentions to return to the top seat at the MİT.

“Having someone who left the MİT by declaring his political choice means that what it has done and what it will do from now on are all against the opposition and the people,” Vural said.

“You cannot even run a grocery store this way,” he said.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy İdris Baluken said Erdoğan wants to decorate all state bodies and Davutoğlu was in a hard position.

“This situation is a reflection of the political shake in the AKP and it gives clues about an upcoming political crisis that will come out of the struggle in the ruling party,” he said.