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Baykal stands before education in Kurdish, constitutional change
Speaking with the Akşam daily, Baykal said he would never support plans to allow education in the Kurdish language nor replace the current Constitution with a new one.
“If they [the government] have such ideas in mind, we will strongly oppose them. For example, education in Kurdish. We won't say yes if they intend to introduce Kurdish as an elective course in schools. Public education will then turn into ethnic education. They will also want to change the Constitution, but they won't manage this. They won't have enough power to do this,” Baykal stated.
Baykal's strong opposition to ongoing government efforts to settle the long-standing Kurdish question through peaceful methods has drawn the ire of many, with European politicians accusing him of seeking political profit from the issue.
The CHP leader said he would support efforts for more democracy to the very end, but would not nod to “separatist” efforts.
“If the ongoing process has a dimension of democratization, we will gladly support it. If the government has such plans, they can visit us and tell us about the plans. But, I see some steps of the government as separatist. If they bring them to the agenda, we will harshly oppose them,” he said.
Baykal also noted that he would set up an appointment with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan if the prime minister is willing to share the government's plan to deal with the Kurdish question.
“I am the leader of the main opposition party. I should meet with the prime minister. If he has serious things to say, he can come to me. If his minister has things to tell my party, then he may meet with our deputy chairman,” he noted.
Last week both the CHP and the MHP rejected a request from Interior Minister Beşir Atalay -- who is currently meeting with political party, civil society and trade union representatives to hear their suggestions on the Kurdish question -- for an appointment to discuss the initiative.
Hakkı Süha Okay, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) parliamentary group, said his party would meet with representatives from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) only when this party solidifies its plans for the Kurdish problem.
“We are telling them to clarify what they have in mind on the issue. The ruling party, however, is systematically trying to keep the CHP away from the process. This is an injustice. What the CHP is saying is pretty clear: The AK Party should explain its project, its view and its opinion on the [Kurdish] issue,” Okay stated.
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