Kılıçdaroğlu: PKK Is Helping Erdoğan Form AK Party Gov't In Nov. 1 Election

The increasing terrorist activity of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) over the last two months is serving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's goal to enable the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to form a single-party government after the Nov. 1 snap parliamentary election, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu claimed on Monday.

Speaking to the Voice of Russia radio station, Kılıçdaroğlu said that Erdoğan -- a co-founder of the AK Party -- wants to give the message to voters that peace and a better economy can only come when the AK Party is able to return to government as the only party in power.

“There was no terror in the country until the result of the general election was announced [on June 8]. On June 8, all of a sudden, we woke up in the morning to violence and terror,” Kılıçdaroğlu said. “Erdoğan has political ambitions, hatred and anger, and he gave a message to the public that until voters elect a single-party government, Turkey will have chaos in politics, social life and the economy,” he added.

According to Kılıçdaroğlu, it is wrong to think that the PKK is a terrorist organization that carries out its activities independently. “It [the PKK] is serving the [presidential] palace at the moment. It is very clear and we all know this,” he said.

‘CHP could have convinced MHP to form coalition'

Speaking during an interview with the NTV television station on Monday, Kılıçdaroğlu said that he could have convinced Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli to join the CHP in a coalition if he had been given a mandate to form a government by Erdoğan on Aug. 19, after AK Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu was unable to form a coalition.

Following the June 7 general election, the deadline for parties to form a coalition government ended on Aug. 23 and was not extended by Erdoğan. “We have no time to lose with those who do not know the address of Beştepe,” Erdoğan said on Aug. 19 in reference to the CHP's continued refusal to visit him at the presidential palace in Ankara's Beştepe neighborhood.

After the time allotted for coalition talks expired, Erdoğan called for an early election on Nov. 1 after consulting with Parliament Speaker İsmet Yılmaz.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)