Turkish PM’s wife pays condolence visit to main opposition party head’s spouse over mother’s loss

ANKARA

Sare Davutoğlu (L) with Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu (R). AA Photo

While Turkey’s top politicians continue to hurl harsh language at each other in the political arena, some of their wives have not chosen to follow suit, with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s wife, Sare Davutoğlu, paying a condolence visit to main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s wife, Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu, over the loss of her mother almost two weeks ago.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s sister Hayriye Kocadağ was also present at the meeting at Kılıdaroğlu’s house in Ankara’s Yüzüncüyıl neighborhood, which lasted about 30 minutes.

Kılıçdaroğlu said she was grateful that Davutoğlu was sharing her pain, adding that she sent her best regards to the prime minister, as he had offered his condolences to her husband immediately after being notified of the death.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s mother, 87-year-old Fatma Özdağ, was laid to rest in the eastern province of Tunceli’s Nazımiye district, where the Kılıçdaroğlu family is originally from. The CHP described his sorrow by saying, “My mother-in-law had specifically invested in me. May her soul rest in peace.”

Prime Minister Davutoğlu said he would not respond to Kılıçdaroğlu in the political arena for some time, as he was in mourning.

“As someone who has experienced the loss of a mother twice, I will not respond to Kılıçdaroğlu today. We can have political debates, but let’s maintain a language of ethics. Let’s also know how to share sorrow,” he said.