İYİ Party to CHP: 'This statement is a complete scandal!'

İYİ Party Bursa Provincial Chair Dr. Mehmet Hasanoğlu reacted sharply to the statement allegedly made by CHP Mustafakemalpaşa Mayoral Candidate Şükrü Erdem, in which he reportedly said, "Abdullah Öcalan was not a terrorist, trust me, the man is not a traitor."

Emphasizing that it is unacceptable for Erdem to use rhetoric that effectively legitimizes the head of a terrorist organization, Hasanoğlu said, "This statement by Şükrü Erdem is a complete scandal. He must apologize to the Turkish nation immediately."

Stating that they strongly condemn the remarks in question, İYİ Party Provincial Chair Dr. Mehmet Hasanoğlu said the following regarding the matter:

"CHP Mustafakemalpaşa Mayoral Candidate Şükrü Erdem, during a conversation with citizens at a coffeehouse, uttered words such as, 'Abdullah Öcalan was not a terrorist at first. Trust me, the man is not a traitor. There is no PKK or anything like that anymore. Those things are over.' Making such statements about the murderer of tens of thousands of our people has wounded the conscience of the Turkish nation. Erdem has disregarded the pain caused by the separatist organization, especially that of our martyrs' families. We strongly condemn these statements by an individual who has served as a minister, held state office, and is now a candidate for the mayoralty of a district like Mustafakemalpaşa, where our fellow citizens with high moral values reside, and we call on him to apologize to the people of Mustafakemalpaşa and the Turkish nation immediately."