Secularism in Turkey

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Nov. 30 called on the government to take steps to ease the loan pressure on farmers and tradesmen.

"Agricultural Credit Cooperative is choking the farmers with 71 percent interest," Kılıçdaroğlu said, speaking at the CHP's parliamentary group meeting.

Turkey will not be defeated by currency sabotage or high inflation, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader has said, urging the opposition parties not to provoke the people for street protests on the pretext of economic conditions.

Opposition İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener on Nov. 24 called for early elections, criticizing the government's economic policies.

The Turkish nation is getting poorer with the latest economic difficulties, she said, addressing her party's weekly parliamentary group meeting.

In just one week, Turkey's debt increased by 1.9 trillion liras, Akşener stated.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has blamed the executive-presidential system as the main political problem of Turkey amid a discussion over whether the 50 percent plus one vote election rule should be amended. 

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and İYİ (Good) Party chair Meral Akşener on Nov. 17 called for early elections.

"We are making a clear call: You [government] cannot run the country. Go to elections as soon as possible," Kılıçdaroğlu said in a joint press conference with the İYİ Party leader.

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener on Nov. 17 pledged to make necessary legislation in the fight against femicide and violence against women if her party comes to power.

Speaking at her party's parliamentary group meeting, Akşener recalled a recent femicide in which yet another woman was brutally murdered by a man while walking on a street in Istanbul.

Turkey has to reconcile in order to heal the wounds of the past and to create a stable future for the next generations, the main opposition leader has said, reiterating his call for making peace between the rival social and political groups in the country, including conservatives, Kurds and religious minorities. 

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has vowed to begin a journey to make peace with all social and political rival camps and create an environment to heal what he called the pains the Turkish nation was suffering from and foster hopes for a common future.

Turkey is approaching its targets of overcoming global crisis successfully, said the country's president on Nov. 10 in his speech commemorating Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, noting that the outcome of his achievements is "the road map of Turkey."

İYİ (Good) Party lawmaker Lütfi Türkkan has made a mistake by swearing at a protestor, the party leader, Meral Akşener, has said, but noted that he apologized for the incident.