AA PhotoThe Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has asked the government whether the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) imprisoned leader is still on the prison island of İmralı given his silence on recent efforts by the ruling and main opposition parties to solve the Kurdish question.
"Why is [Abdullah] Öcalan silent now while the ruling and [main] opposition parties have come together to solve the Kurdish question even though he has always expressed his opinions from İmralı before?” MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli asked. “Is he unaware of what is happening? Or isn't he on İmralı? I want to ask [Prime Minister] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Is he?"
"What are you going to do if you personally see that Öcalan still lives on İmralı? Then we should take the gentlemen [Bahçeli] to İmralı. However, this is going to set a bad example for the BDP," Erdoğan said in response. "We will keep on responding to Mr. Bahçeli and his friends with graciousness … not with revilement.”
Last week, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) accepted the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) proposal to collaborate in an effort to solve the Kurdish problem, recommending also the establishment of a dual mechanism on the matter. The MHP, however, has categorically refused to participate in the collaboration. (ISTANBUL- Hürriyet)
