CHP addresses Kurdish issue in snap elections strategy

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has sped up its snap elections work since hopes for a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Republican People's Party (CHP) coalition faded when talks between the interim prime minister and AK Party chairman, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu ended unsuccessfully last week. According to the strategies adopted by the CHP to garner more votes in possible snap elections, democracy and peace promises would be in the forefront instead of the economic promises that the party used in its June 7 parliamentary elections campaign.

The party is expected to touch on the Kurdish issue to receive votes from eastern Turkey and regain its supporters who voted for the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) in the last election. A booklet on the CHP's view of the Kurdish issue has been given to deputies in order to clarify the party stance on the Kurdish issue in this critical period with PKK terrorist attacks Turkey. The party proposed a model based on four steps in the booklet to solve the Kurdish issue. The model includes initiatives for democracy and human rights, legal steps for equal citizenship, a consensus commission in Parliament and a commission including a common sense committee. The party's positive stance on education in native language for Kurdish citizens is also included in the booklet. Kılıçdaroğlu is also expected to hold a Party Assembly meeting this week to discuss the strategy to be followed after the coalition talks with the AK Party.