Campaigning through blood is not moral: CHP

CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu responded during his own weekly address to his parliamentary group on Jan. 30.

“Trying to win votes through the blood of martyrs is perverse. Those who try to win votes by exploiting nationalist [sentiments] cannot be called either human or moral,” Kılıçdaroğlu said

He slammed the AKP’s policies for helping to “turn the Middle East into a swamp,” with more than three million Syrians fleeing the country in Turkey because of violence.

“Because of these gentlemen, our country has now became part of this swamp. It’s because of them that we have spent billions of dollars for Syrian refugees,” he said, accusing the government of fanning the flames of the Syrian war by sending arms to fighting groups.

“We told them not to pour oil on flames. We told them not to take sides in the civil war. But they have never listened to us,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.

‘Some columnists are Erdoğan’s slaves’

The CHP head also touched on the president’s recent suggestion that the Afrin operation would lead to 3.5 million Syrians in Turkey being sent back home. He noted that was subject to heavy criticism from both the government and pro-government columnists when he suggested in 2016 that all Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey would be able to return to their homes after the country is stabilized.

“When I said this they accused me of racism. But two years later it is Erdoğan who said Syrians will be returning to their homes. I ask those columnists now: Why don’t you criticize Erdoğan just like you criticized me? Those who have became the slaves of Erdoğan cannot write this,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

from Hürriyet Daily News http://ift.tt/2DP27Dy

via CHPEU