MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım accused the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) of siding with terrorists on Tuesday, after it opposed the constitutional amendments to increase President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.
"Who is saying ‘no’ to these changes? The PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] and FETO [the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization]. They are terrorists and of course we say ‘yes’ to what they say ‘no’ to. Who else is making a campaign for ‘no?’ The HDP [Peoples’ Democratic Party] and the CHP. It seems that the CHP has boarded the same boat as the HDP, which takes its strength from the terror organization," Yildirim was quoted as saying by the Hurriyet Daily newspaper.
On January 21, the Turkish parliament approved the constitutional amendments and submitted the bill on Thursday for the approval of the president. Erdogan has 15 days to approve or reject the bill and set the date of the referendum on the amendments. The referendum is expected to take place in mid-April.
The HDP has been accused of having links to the pro-Kurdish independence PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The FETO organization is outlawed by Ankara and was accused of organizing a military coup attempt in the country in July 2016.
