CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu: Demirtaş and Kavala are unjustly behind bars

* Photo: Evrim Aydın - Ankara / AA

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu spoke at the weekly group meeting of his party today (November 2).

Touching a series of current issues on Turkey's public agenda, Kılıçdaroğlu also talked about the meeting of US President Joe Biden and President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Rome, Italy on the margins of the G20 Summit.

"Erdoğan meets Biden and comes back to Turkey. His character has changed by 180 degrees. When he was with Biden, he was beaming; when he comes to Turkey, he frowns," said Kılıçdaroğlu.

"They have paper pickers beaten up. They make a display of power to the poorest. He cannot do it abroad, he does it here," he added.

Kılıçdaroğlu also criticized that the reporters of some critical news outlets were not allowed in the Republic Day ceremony at Atatürk's Monumental Tomb in Ankara on October 29. Kılıçdaroğlu briefly said:

"I say it openly and clearly to the ones who gave this decision: The lion of this country lies in the Monumental Tomb, you are not powerful enough for him. So, whatever they do will bring about their own downfall."

Speaking about the ones discharged from public service following the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "We will reinstate everyone who has been acquitted by courts, for whom a decision of non-prosecution has been given, against whom no investigation has been launched and for whom the Constitutional Court has given a ruling of 'reinstatement'."

'Their imprisonment is already wrong'

Further in his speech, CHP's Kılıçdaroğlu talked about the state of the judiciary in Turkey. "I will not keep the bureaucrats who do not enforce the rulings of the Constitutional Court and courts inside the state bureaucracy; I am saying this openly and clearly," said Kılıçdaroğlu.

Noting that "enforcing court rulings is the fundamental duty of every state and the foundation of the state is justice", Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Who are you? The judge? Your place is at the palace, my friend."

Kılıçdaroğlu also referred to former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş and businessperson Osman Kavala, who have behind bars for over four years despite the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and ECtHR Grand Chamber:

"There are Demirtaş and Kavala, who are unjustly held behind bars. This is unacceptable to my conscience. They have perhaps never heard of the CHP or have never voted for it in any period of their lives. But our duty is justice; our duty is to stand against injustice.

"They are only guilty of not having a US passport. If they had, they would be released with a phone call. A plane would wait for them in the apron. Has Turkey ever been faced with such a scandal before? Their imprisonment is already wrong as required by democracy." (AS/SD)