Turkish PM meets opposition leaders, calls for calm after coup attempt
ANKARA
AA photo
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım met with the leaders of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on July 19 in the capital Ankara, urging for calm while giving messages of solidarity between the country’s political parties after a failed coup attempt on July 15.Yıldırım first met with CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu at the prime minister’s residence in the capital Ankara. The two leaders made a joint statement following the meeting.
“I had some concerns and I expressed my concerns to Mr. Prime Minister. Especially I said the violent acts against rank and files who only listened to orders were not right and expressed that those [acts] needed to be investigated. It is our duty to resolve tension in society through cooperation,” Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters during the press conference.
“The [Turkish] society went through a serious trauma. We need to return to normal urgently,” Kılıçdaroğlu added, as Yıldırım thanked him for the show of support.
Meanwhile, Yıldırım said the necessary actions had been taken on some video footage which had circulated on social media, adding that legal action would be taken in the harshest way against individuals acting illegally while on duty.
“Today we need unity and to further develop a brotherhood of discourse,” he said.
The premier also said the country should not give opportunities to provocateurs, urging caution.
“We need to be more cautious from now on. Provocateurs are always possible while these incidents are being solved. We should not give them opportunities. We have to give the necessary response to those who resort to such acts immediately,” Yıldırım said.
He also reminded that the country had never experienced such a “bad and heinous” coup attempt in its political history.
Following his meeting with the CHP leader, Yıldırım also met with MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli at the presidential residence.
Yıldırım said Bahçeli had called him after the very first moments of the coup attempt, saying he was ready to give all kinds of support and a will against terror in terms of the unity of the state and the nation.
“We have a lot to do starting from now and God willing we will do that in the upcoming days. Both separatist terror and coup attempts will be removed from the occupying people’s agenda,” Yıldırım said.
The prime minister also said protecting unity in the country should be their biggest duty, noting that the MHP always showed sensitivity in terms of the country’s interests.
Meanwhile, Bahçeli said Turkey was rid of a calamity with the coup attempt.
“There is relief in our society. Life goes on normally. As the MHP, we have once again expressed to Mr. Prime Minister that we will be with the efforts the government with our 40 deputies and the support we get from our people to remove all coup elements and make evaluations which will prevent such attempts in the future,” Bahçeli said.
“I had some concerns and I expressed my concerns to Mr. Prime Minister. Especially I said the violent acts against rank and files who only listened to orders were not right and expressed that those [acts] needed to be investigated. It is our duty to resolve tension in society through cooperation,” Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters during the press conference.
“The [Turkish] society went through a serious trauma. We need to return to normal urgently,” Kılıçdaroğlu added, as Yıldırım thanked him for the show of support.
Meanwhile, Yıldırım said the necessary actions had been taken on some video footage which had circulated on social media, adding that legal action would be taken in the harshest way against individuals acting illegally while on duty.
“Today we need unity and to further develop a brotherhood of discourse,” he said.
The premier also said the country should not give opportunities to provocateurs, urging caution.
“We need to be more cautious from now on. Provocateurs are always possible while these incidents are being solved. We should not give them opportunities. We have to give the necessary response to those who resort to such acts immediately,” Yıldırım said.
He also reminded that the country had never experienced such a “bad and heinous” coup attempt in its political history.
Following his meeting with the CHP leader, Yıldırım also met with MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli at the presidential residence.
Yıldırım said Bahçeli had called him after the very first moments of the coup attempt, saying he was ready to give all kinds of support and a will against terror in terms of the unity of the state and the nation.
“We have a lot to do starting from now and God willing we will do that in the upcoming days. Both separatist terror and coup attempts will be removed from the occupying people’s agenda,” Yıldırım said.
The prime minister also said protecting unity in the country should be their biggest duty, noting that the MHP always showed sensitivity in terms of the country’s interests.
Meanwhile, Bahçeli said Turkey was rid of a calamity with the coup attempt.
“There is relief in our society. Life goes on normally. As the MHP, we have once again expressed to Mr. Prime Minister that we will be with the efforts the government with our 40 deputies and the support we get from our people to remove all coup elements and make evaluations which will prevent such attempts in the future,” Bahçeli said.
