Main opposition parties’ presidential candidate responds to criticism
The former head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), nominated by the two major opposition parties represented at the Turkish Parliament as their joint presidential candidate on June 16, has addressed secular voters in his first interview.
The main opposition Republican Peopleâs Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have agreed on Ekmeleddin Ä°hsanoÄlu as their candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for August.
Speaking to daily Cumhuriyet, Ä°hsanoÄlu rejected claims that he was âagainst Turkeyâs founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Republic.â
âSuch assessments sadden me. Our friends who claim this should look at my past. They should see the positions I have held domestically, including ones that bear the name of Atatürk. Itâs completely wrong to reject Atatürk, the reality of the Republic and its gains,â Ä°hsanoÄlu said in the interview.
Ä°hsanoÄluâs nomination received general support within the CHP, but a number of dissidents had questioned the choice. Staunchly secular Istanbul deputy Nur Serter, for instance, criticized the party leadership for the unexpected choice, claiming Ä°hsanoÄlu âdid not representâ the CHP.
âAtatürk has a special place in the heart of the Turkish nation as the hero of the fight for independence and the founder of the Turkish Republic. Contradicting it would be an attitude that doesnât fit historical reality. For Turkey, Atatürk is what Napoleon is for France or George Washington is for the United States,â Ä°hsanoÄlu told Cumhuriyet daily.
Stressing that Atatürk âshould neither be consecrated nor rejected,â Ä°hsanoÄlu...
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