Kılıçdaroğlu comments on Syria strike

In his first statement about the US, UK and France’s airstrike against Syria, CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said the use of chemical weapons was a crime against humanity and the four regional countries should solve the problem.

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Republican People’s Party (CHP) General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, asserting that the US and Russia, which are waging a fight over natural gas and petrol, were engaging in a mutual show of strength in Syria, said, “The dominant powers should pull out of the region. Natural gas and petrol have become a curse for the peoples here.”

The CHP leader, stating, “The use of chemical weapons is a crime against humanity,” said, “The dominant powers should pull out of the region.” Kılıçdaroğlu remarked, “Going forward, this region, Turkey included, should sit down and take a decision. Let Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria come together. Do the four of us lack the capacity to solve the problem being experienced in the four countries in this region?”

Kılıçdaroğlu, convening with business people in Antakya, analysed the US’s strike on targets in Syria. Kılıçdaroğlu said that administrators from Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran could meet and hold a conference to solve the Middle East’s problems and it was wrong for the solving of problems to be consigned to foreign powers.

Kılıçdaroğlu, voicing his opposition to the use of chemical weapons, asserted that he had doubts as to whether chemical weapons had been used in Syria and noted, “A delegation of experts will come from the United Nations and look, and, if they have been used, it can be established quite clearly and precisely which country these weapons were manufactured in. Let them do what is called for, I have no objection, but I absolutely do not find a war that places the region on a more critical course to be correct without this having been done.”

Kılıçdaroğlu, recalling that there was a time when Turkey was on very good terms with Syria, remarked, “We got up one night and suddenly proclaimed Syria to be an enemy. For what reason? Assad was supposedly not democratic. The Syrian people will decide if Assad is democratic or not. They will sit down and decide. OK, you can recommend that democracy come to all countries, there is no objection to that, but quarrels in a part of the world where we have cultural relations, relatives and a shared history and faiths will benefit no one and harm everyone.”

Kılıçdaroğlu, stressing that people were dying thanks to the quarrel over sharing out petrol and natural gas, noted, “Who is dying? The dispossessed. Poor people. Turkey needed to adopt a very cautious demeanour and policy over this matter. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so. I say this with sorrow. Had those in government showed the sensitivity we do, had they taken a stand on the side of peace and harmony, be sure that a very different picture could have emerged. Ten to fifteen years ago, all Arab countries wanted to be like Turkey. Everyone was jealous of the democracy, equality of women and men and the multiple voices in politics. Will you just look at the point we have reached now? Our colleague has spoken of the centre project. A project that brings peace to the Middle East and Caucasia. It would have taken economic strength and made an investment in people. We would have stood up for peace altogether, not war.”

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, underlining that the US and Russia were engaging in a mutual show of strength and pointing out that everyone who died was using the US and Russia’s arms, commented, “They sit and press a button from 30-40- 100 kilometres away and fire bombs. Are they men, civilians? Have women died? It does not concern them. The dominant powers should pull out of the region. Natural gas and petrol have become a curse for the peoples here. The dominant powers are setting the scene for all manner of conflict so as to control petrol and natural gas. We are now in the 21 st century. People must wake up and analyse the problem. Foreign policy is erected on countries’ interests but it is possible to balance mutual interests.”

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