CHP signals support on mandate deploying Turkish troops to Iraq

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) hinted at supporting the parliamentary motion of a one-year mandate authorizing the deployment of the Turkish army abroad, "if it will be about counter-terrorism," while the Kurdish issue-focused People's Democratic Party (HDP) is against the motion.

"The importance of the mandate [on Turkish deployment abroad] still remains. They [the government] will issue a new motion, we cannot say anything without knowing its content, surely. It is not right to give comments," CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said on Sept. 21 in a televised interview with private broadcaster HaberTürk TV. 

As the existing motion will be in effect until Oct. 30, Kılıçdaroğlu said the CHP had already supported the previous motion and will continue to do so if the context will be the same.

"We approved the previous motion. It was about a struggle against terror. We support counterterrorism," he said. 

He added that the main opposition will determine its stance after the National Security Council (MGK) and Council of Ministers meetings, where the government is in a bid to determine measures to be taken on the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), if Massoud Barzani's government carries out the forthcoming independence referendum on Sept. 25. 

"The MGK will convene and we do not know what kind of decisions will be made in the meeting. We will assess the process. The MGK's decisions will probably be reflected in the motion. We do not know that either," he said.

"We all sit and discuss and make up our minds. In the end, we all have a common aim, which [wishes that] Turkey will keep its power and dynamism in the region and the negativity in the region will not affect it. It is our biggest wish,"...