Erdogan refutes claims of cracks in People’s Alliance amid normalization with main opposition

President and chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday refuted allegations that there was tension in the People’s Alliance before the meeting with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli.

“We are walking shoulder to shoulder with the MHP; we will not give way to the attacks against the People’s Alliance,” the president asserted.

Erdogan spoke at the AK Party’s weekly group meeting on Wednesday. Referring to the political normalization in his speech, Erdogan also made statements against the main opposition party Republican People’s Party (CHP).

In response to CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel’s remarks on ‘normalization in politics,’ he stated: “Our efforts to moderate our political stance, what our counterparts refer to as ‘normalization,’ are aimed at facilitating a broader normalization within the opposition itself. It is through the opposition, that closed fists will open.”

Ozel counters Erdogan’s notions of normalization

On the other hand, CHP leader Ozel responded to Erdogan’s statements.

Speaking about Erdogan’s “normalization” statements in his group meeting, Ozel responded: “One hand is not enough to shake hands, two hands are needed.

“On March 31, when the CHP became the first party, we said in our first statement that we would not be arrogant. And we met with Erdogan and had the opportunity to shake hands after years. The definition of normalization to shape the opposition in a certain way is only a sentence designed to please the alliance partner. When the opposition ceases to be the opposition, democracy ceases to be democracy,” he added.

Also making statements against the MHP, Ozel said: “One difference between us and the MHP is that we don’t have the mentality of collecting votes at the ballot box saying ‘we will oppose’ and then changing sides 180 degrees before the ballot box comes again. Our politics is the most resilient and effective politics.”