PM urges the opposition to embrace Syrian Turkmens

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu criticized opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for his contradictory stance regarding Syria and the Assad regime as well as the position of Turkmen people in Turkeyhere. He made these criticisms on Wednesday, while addressing party members at AK Party's Provincial Chairmen meeting held in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, marking the first time a government has heldolds such a meeting outside of the capital.

Davutoğlu stated that the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has accepted Iraqi Turkmens last week and pledged his support when he said "Your destiny is our destiny" but that he intentionally turns a blind eye to the suffering of Syrian Turkmens.
The Prime Minister stated that Kılıçdaroğlu's selective acknowledgement is based on the fact that he sympathizes with Bashar Al Assad, known to be a leader who does not hesitate to kill his own people and civilians. Davutoğlu called Kılıçdaroğlu to accept Syrian Turkmens and ask them about what Assad has done to them. "If you want to stand up for the oppressed, you need to listen to them first" he said, and added that the only thing that will not change is Kılıçdaroğlu's friendship with Assad, because CHP represents the Turkish version of Ba'ath ideology and Assad represents the Arab Ba'ath Party.

Referring to his call for all political leaders to adopt a more respectful tone, Davutoğlu stated that opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu hasdoes not seemed to accept his invitation due to his recent degrading remarks when he called Davutoğlu to conduct his duty as the prime minister. He criticized Kılıçdaroğlu for calling dissidents to leave the party if they do not believe the Republican People's Party (CHP) will win the elections.
"Kılıçdaroğlu would leave his seat in the party if he will stipulates such condition because I do not think he believes CHP will come to power" Davutoğlu said, who called Kılıçdaroğlu to stop his defamation campaign about Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MİT). The prime minister noted that Kılıçdaroğlu does not use factual evidence and bases his claims on newspaper articles while he called uponthe opposition leader to make the documents public, if they exist.

Davutoğlu reiterated that the reconciliation process is not an alternative to public order and that the government is committed to take every measure to ensure public order. He underlined that reconciliation process is a priority of the Turkish government in line with the country's democratization efforts. He stated that it is crucial for all parties to leave aside politics, grudges and hatred when claiming to defend the reconciliation process and acknowledge that people are at the main concern of the process. "Nobody will be 'othered' in this land" Davutoğlu said, criticizing the negative stance of opposition parties regarding the reconciliation process.