CHP leader sends letter to UN leader over Assad meet meet

ANKARA

ABACAPRESS Photo

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about the party’s contacts on humanitarian issues in regards to Syria, a senior party official announced yesterday.

CHP Deputy Chair Faruk Loğoğlu, speaking at a press conference at Parliament, also said that they conveyed a contented report on a CHP delegation’s visit to Syria and their meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on March 7 to both the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

Demand from regime

In the letter addressed to the U.N.’s Ban and signed by CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, they mentioned Turkish citizens being kept by the regime, the situation of soldiers, families separated by the incidents in Syria and human rights violations, Loğoğlu said, adding: “We asked the regime what they could do on these matters. They told our delegation that they will try to help on these humanitarian issues within the sphere of opportunities and information. We shared this, too, in the letter.” No matter whether it comes from the regime or the opposition, the CHP condemns all violent actions, Loğoğlu said, maintaining that it would be possible to determine Syria’s future only by the Syrian people and through the decisions that they will make, Loğoğlu said.

The diplomat-turned politician argued that although the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Syria policy has not been supported by the people, the AKP was creating an image as if it was the CHP that blocked the AKP’s successful Syria policy. “The CHP is not supporting the al-Assad regime; this was never said by us. Not three years ago, not 10 years ago and not today do we call Assad ‘our brother.’ If peace is to come, it will come through meetings between the regime and the opposition,” he added.

 On March 7, in a statement released following his meeting with the CHP delegation, al-Assad said he told the delegation that there was “a need to distinguish between the stance of the Turkish people and the position of AKP government.