Turkish PM negotiating with PKK leader for presidential syst

[Aslan]

The ongoing Kurdish peace process’ primary aim is to implement the presidential system in Turkey, main opposition Republican People’s Party's (CHP) leader said May 5 during a meeting in Antalya.

Despite Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s claims to the contrary, the government is engaged in such political negotiations during talks with the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“They are asking for support from [jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan]. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sits at one end of the table, and at the other end sits Abdullah Öcalan. I want everyone to know this,” he said.

Accusing Erdoğan of lying on the process, Kılıçdaroğlu reiterated his call to make public the contents of the negotiations. “They say: ‘We did not negotiate. Those who negotiate are vile and dishonest.’ I also say the same thing. Those who put the citizens aside and negotiate are vile and dishonest. A liar can’t be a prime minister.”

Kılıçdaroğlu also criticized suggestions to change the definition of citizenship in the new constitutional draft, emphasizing that the CHP would oppose removing the expression the “Turkish people.”

He also said the CHP was endeavoring to make a more democratic Constitution while the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) intention was limited to imposing a presidential system.

“They saw that the CHP tried to prevent it. The CHP wants people to express their thoughts freely, democracy, freedom and equality between men and women. They saw that their aim was not going to materialize; that’s why they went to [Öcalan],” he said.