Get in touch with Syrian gov’t, says CHP head Kılıçdaroğlu

ANKARA

Ankara should immediately get in touch with the Syrian government in order to help bring the war in Turkey’s southern neighbor to an end, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said.

He made the call during his speech at the CHP’s 36th ordinary congress in Ankara on Feb. 3, at which he was reelected as party leader.

His comments came after he told reporters on Jan. 29 that “the way to make peace between Turkey and Syria … and to jointly focus on maintaining [Syria’s] territorial integrity is [to establish] dialogue between Turkey and Syria.”

Kılıçdaroğlu also hailed the soldiers on duty in Turkey’s ongoing cross-border operation into the northern Syrian district of Afrin against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

“Those in power are trying to represent the Afrin operation as a decision made by their party … This struggle is for the sake of Turkey, not for [them]. They should get into contact with the Syrian government immediately. If the territorial integrity of Syria is to be guaranteed and bloodshed is to be ceased, the Syrian state and government should be contacted. The place for a solution to this is the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,” he said.

The CHP leader told delegates at the congress that “the fragile balance between the Kurdish question and the terror problem should be addressed very carefully,” while again promising to “quit politics” if he is not able to solve the Kurdish question within four years of the CHP coming to power.

Questioned about Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks during an interview on private broadcaster CNN Türk on Feb. 4, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ stressed that Turkey has “no intention” of keeping forces in Syria over the long term.

“The steps taken by us are fulfilling serious duties with regard to accelerating a political solution,” Bozdağ said, referring to peace talks being held in Astana, Sochi and Geneva upon initiatives from Turkey, Russia, Iran and the U.S.