Ruling AKP urges politicians to be on side of courtesy after Davutoğlu, MHP row

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chair and party spokesperson Mahir Ünal said on July 26 that politicians should be on the side of "courtesy" when uttering their criticisms or giving their responses in the face of criticisms following the recent war of words between the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

"We believe that when politicians utter criticisms or answer criticisms, they should definitely not forget to act courteously. We would have wished Davutoğlu's criticisms against the MHP chair would have been handled in this frame and the answers [to Davutoğlu] be given in the same way. It is an unacceptable situation for a political criticism to be reciprocated by scorn and insult instead of answering it in a similar manner," Ünal said in a written statement.

His comments came after Davutoğlu and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli engaged in a row after former Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş was dismissed from his post in a recent cabinet reshuffle.

When asked about the dismissal of Türkeş from his post in the recent reshuffle, Bahçeli pointed at Davutoğlu as the one responsible for his transfer on July 25.

"Someone who has the measure of Ahmet Davutoğlu should explain this," Bahçeli said.

Davutoğlu responded to the accusations on July 25 blaming Bahçeli of attempting to change the agenda. 

The former Prime Minister is "trying to harm the image of the MHP in the eyes of the public," said MHP deputy chair Semih Yalçın following Davutoğlu's comments.

"MHP chair Devlet Bahçeli, in an evaluation regarding the cabinet reshuffle, has made a reference to our former Prime Minister and chair, Konya deputy Ahmet Davutoğlu. Upon Davutoğlu's answer and...