Tension escalates as CHP dissident referred to disciplinary committee


As the political turmoil within Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) grows following the resignation of neo-nationalist Ankara Deputy Emine Ülker Tarhan, another dissident, Eskişehir Deputy Süheyl Batum, was referred to the disciplinary committee with a demand for his dismissal.Batum came under criticism from the CHP administration after his statements that he supported Tarhan's resignation and each week a CHP member will resign from his or her post to shake up the party.On Tuesday, CHP Eskişehir Deputy Süheyl Batum asserted that there are 20 deputies within the CHP who stand against the current policies of the party. Batum said that these dissident members should gather and discuss the wrongheaded policies of the party administration."If I see that there is no possibility to gather [dissident members] together, I will do what is necessary," Batum said, implying that he may resign if he thinks that there is no hope to continue with the CHP."I absolutely agree with Tarhan's statement. I talked with some [members to find a way out of the party's wrong policies] and I will talk with some later and if they do not intend to take action, I will not be a part of this game. I do not think that it is necessary to wait until the 2015 [national elections]," Batum said.Following her bitter resignation letter on Friday, Tarhan yesterday gave another speech at a press conference at the Turkish Parliament harshly criticizing CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu.In her speech, Tarhan referred to Kılıçdaroğlu's election failures saying that the CHP administration is growing distant from the party's grassroots."What put the CHP in a difficult position were its policies that moved it away from its grassroots," said Tarhan, accusing Kılıçdaroğlu of adopting harsh rhetoric toward CHP supporters.Referring to Kılıçdaroğlu's strict statement toward CHP voters pushing them to vote for the CHP by slamming the table and saying "whether you like it or not, you will go to the ballot box," Tarhan said that the CHP administration is not aware of the party's responsibilities.With her bitter press statement regarding her resignation, Tarhan blamed the CHP's administration for their "wrong and weak policies," which she claimed are not representative of the people's sentiments and were not made with winning elections in mind.