Arınç was responding to reporters’ questions yesterday in Ankara. When reminded of Kılıçdaroğlu’s recent remarks in favor of a meeting with Erdoğan, Arınç said nothing would be more normal than a meeting between the leader of a government and that of a main opposition party to discuss issues dominating the domestic and foreign agenda of the country. “If such a meeting is needed and the parties want it, it would be without doubt fruitful,” he said.
Kılıçdaroğlu said on Saturday that he would meet with the prime minister to discuss rising terrorism in the country if the prime minister requested a meeting. “Of course, if the esteemed prime minister feels such a need and wants to listen to our opinions on the issue, we would convey them with all our sincerity,” he said. Erdoğan rarely met with former CHP leader Deniz Baykal.
“There has been a change in party leadership in the main opposition party. The government was not able to get in contact with Baykal on the democratic initiative [launched by government to settle the Kurdish issue] nor on counterterrorism efforts. Today, we see that Kılıçdaroğlu has been delivering more positive speeches. Of course, there should be a joint stance and a common mind against terrorism. We should share our knowledge with each other. We should take into consideration every proposal on this issue no matter who voices it,” Arınç said. Noting that he finds Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks positive for the country, he said he hopes that his proposals on the issue are also positive and contribute to a solution to the issue.
When asked what he thinks about Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli’s ongoing calls to declare an Emergency Rule Region (OHAL) in the Southeast, which has recently been dealing with a spike in terrorist attacks, Arınç said his party is troubled by the idea. “OHAL was imposed for 15 years in Turkey. Those were the years when terrorism reached a peak. Unfortunately, those were also years in which fundamental human rights and freedoms were suspended and many citizens had bitter experiences as a result of the suspension of civil liberties.
