Baykal calls on CHP to defend Turkey's interests

Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Deniz Baykal during the CHP administration meeting on Wednesday repeated his recent support for the government's policy to shell the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Protection Units (YPG) positions near the town of Azaz in northern Syria. The meeting was closed to the press, but according to party sources, during his presentation Baykal said: "We should not evaluate the Syria issue in a denominational way." CHP Deputy Dursun Çiçek indicated the main goal was to protect the Kurdish population in Syria.

During the party meeting, Baykal said: "We should not evaluate the Syria issue in a denominational way. I believe Turkey has the right to defend the Azaz province of Syria. Everybody evaluated those policies as a starting point for war, but the latest developments show that is not correct. I will continue to say whatever is right to me."

Ankara says Turkey's operations in the region are meant to protect a strategic corridor between Aleppo and Turkey for rebel groups.

After Baykal expressed support for Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Syria policies, CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu accused Baykal of helping the AK Party to emerge from its difficult situation. Also mentioning the policies and what should be done for Syria, Çiçek said: "We demand protection the Kurdish population in Syria, but we are also opposed to removing the connection of Turkey to the Middle East with some groups invading territories and expanding toward the Mediterranean. As the main opposition party of Turkey, we are opposed to letting this occur." He also stressed the necessity of parliamentary approval for a possible ground war.