CHP divided over contentious MP immunities amendment

Kılıçdaroğlu has rebuffed HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş for his party’s campaign against the constitutional amendment, which passed with 376 out of 550 votes as he said “those who give signatures should engage in politics independently.”

Referring to the party’s Yalova lawmaker Muharrem İnce, one of the figures who opposed the CHP’s “yes” vote on the amendment, Kılıçdaroğlu also said that “if a rally was going to take place, it should be done under corporate identity.” 

İnce has criticized his party for not behaving according to what it regards as rightful. “The CHP should have acted according to what is right. We do not have anything to do with the HDP. But if there is something right, it is not correct to act with the fear of being seen in the same photo as the HDP,” said İnce, adding that he could not have said “yes” to an amendment against the constitution as a lawmaker who has “taken an oath of loyalty for it.”

Kılıçdaroğlu, on the other hand, vowed to show the firmest stance in the fight against terror and has said his party will “resist in every platform.” 

“[They] have passed this immunity law for the fight against terror. … We will see if they will end terror or not. We will ask every day, you have even changed the constitution. What obstacles do they have in front of them to end terror? You have a majority in the parliament, the mayor is your mayor, the army is your army; go ahead, end terror,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding that the party was fighting to take a unified position. 

“The people do not trust the CHP because a [different] voice comes out of each mind. We have a tradition of shooting ourselves in the foot. Others cover their friends’ wrongs, we criticize them and then we say, ‘Why can’t this CHP become the ruling party?’” said Kılıçdaroğlu.