Insulting president will not bring CHP to power

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is continuing to make gross political mistakes that alienate not only the president or the government but also his own people.

His latest insults levelled at President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are not only ugly and unacceptable but they are also criminal because, according to the law, you cannot insult the Turkish head of state. The criminal element is not our concern, it concerns people of the law. But the way Kılıçdaroğlu is making these insults shows Turkish politics has really lost its quality and sophistication, and is in dire need of an overhaul. Kılıçdaroğlu, while criticizing the president for having built a huge modern presidential palace, has said "what would you call someone who builds himself a palace with 1,000 rooms? I suppose it would be a compliment to call him 'mentally retarded' so let us settle by calling him 'stupid.' "

It is unfortunate that Kılıçdaroğlu had to make such a comparison on the day when we were marking the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. Kılıçdaroğlu did not only insult Erdoğan but also the seven million handicapped people in this country. Is there no one in the CHP to advise this politician that such words will not only harm his own political prospects but will also hurt his own party in the eyes of all the disabled people in Turkey?

Kılıçdaroğlu seems to have missed the fact that Erdoğan has already made it public that he does not own the palace and that the new presidential complex is the property of the Turkish people.

But Kılıçdaroğlu's anger and insults are not only limited to Erdoğan, PM Davutoğlu or the ruling AK Party. At a recent provincial convention, Kılıçdaroğlu said those who oppose him within the CHP still remain in the party because they are "agents."

Is this the way to run a party? Is this the way to act as a responsible main opposition leader? It seems someone has lost his mind, and it is not
Erdoğan. What is sad is the state of affairs in the CHP. Turkey needs a strong left-wing opposition that can stand up for the rights of underprivileged people. Selahattin Demirtaş stood up for the rights of the underprivileged during the presidential elections campaign and won an impressive 10 percent of the votes, possibly grabbing CHP votes. Doesn't this mean anything to Kılıçdaroğlu? With the opposition in tatters, the ruling AK Party unwantedly creates the image of a single party rule. This is bad for our democracy and our image.