Turkish PM accuses CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu of treason over statements on Kobane protests

ANKARA

Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoğlu makes a statement with Deputy PM Yalçın Akdoğan (R) after a hospital visit to Bingöl Police Chief Atalay Ürker in Ankara on Oct. 10. AA Photo

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has accused Turkey's main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of "treason" over his statements on recent protests, calling on him to “keep silent.”

“What he is doing is very irresponsible. It is treason because he is making these comments at a critical time. We don’t need the ideas of Kılıçdaroğlu. [He should] just keep silent,” said Davutoğlu after a hospital visit to Bingöl Police Chief Atalay Ürker, who was wounded during protests in the southeastern province of Bingöl.

The prime minister slammed Kılıçdaroğlu for making “conflicting” statements, saying the Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader is calling for calm on one hand while also accusing the government over the protests on the other.

He also criticized the CHP head for accusing the government of supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) without having any evidence for it.

“Nobody can prove the claim that ISIL has received help [from Turkey]. It does not befit the head of the main opposition party to accuse the state without having any evidence,” he said.

Davutoğlu also described Kılıçdadroğlu’s proposal for a new motion for the Syrian town of Kobane as “ridiculous.”

“He has made such a ridiculous proposal: a new motion for Kobane. Are we going to make new motions for each district and province if ISIL attacks al-Hasakah? His [Kılıçdaroğlu’s] only goal is to protect [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad. If a idsaster takes place, al-Assad will be responsible for it,” he said.

On Oct. 9, Kılıçdaroğlu suggested that the government should renew a parliamentary mandate authorizing the Turkish army to mobilize in Syria by clarifying that it would solely aim to save the border town of Kobane from jihadists. The current mandate gives broad and vague authority for cross border operations into Iraq and Syria.

“Let’s limit our army’s ground operation to the target of rescuing Kobane and driving ISIL from there. Let’s definitely drop the article from the motion that allows foreign soldiers to be stationed in our country. Instead, let’s add an expression that states that we could provide cooperation for air strikes,” Kılıçdaroğlu said at a press conference on Oct. 9.