Kılıçdaroğlu's statement on SHP

Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu arrived in Kayseri to visit Şerafettin Bahadır, a CHP candidate for the Pınarbaşı Municipal Council who was injured in an armed attack in the Pınarbaşı district of Kayseri.

Welcomed at the city entrance on the Northern Ring Road by CHP Kayseri Deputy Aşkın Genç, Provincial Chairman Feyzullah Keskin, and party members, Kılıçdaroğlu then proceeded to Kayseri City Hospital.

During the visit, which was also attended by Chief Physician Serhat Koyuncu, Kılıçdaroğlu visited Bahadır in his room. Bahadır had been beaten and shot by E.U. and Ş.B. in the Büyükkömarmut neighborhood of Pınarbaşı on June 21, and had been moved to a regular ward following his treatment in intensive care. Kılıçdaroğlu received information about his health status.

"NEVER TRUE"

In a statement to reporters following the closed-door visit, Kılıçdaroğlu said that he has always viewed politics as a field for competing in goodness, that this has always been his philosophy, and that he has taken care to uphold it.

Emphasizing that there should be no violence in politics, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "One should consider the victory of a mayor and the subsequent celebrations as normal. However, it is never, ever possible to accept violence, especially violence at a level that could lead to a person's death.

I visited Mr. Şerafettin. Thank goodness, the doctors and their entire teams have shown the necessary care; he is in good condition and will stay a little longer. The fact that he is in good condition is our greatest consolation. If he had lost his life, this would truly have been a great tragedy. It is like a mental blackout; applying violence to a person, escalating violence to a level that would lead to their death, is never, ever right. In the presence of you all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the hospital's chief physician and all the staff."

STATEMENT REGARDING SHP

When asked by a journalist about claims that he supports the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), Kılıçdaroğlu stated that these were fake news reports.

Reminded of the incidents that broke out following allegations that a Syrian national had sexually abused a young child of Syrian origin in Kayseri, Kılıçdaroğlu noted the following:

"The intense influx of Syrians into Turkey has bothered me the most. During my time as chairman, I promised that I would send all our Syrian brothers and sisters back to their own countries within two years. But I said that while sending the Syrians back to their own countries, we would do so while protecting Turkey's dignity and human honor. Causing internal conflicts here and applying violence against Syrians deals a blow to Turkey's reputation and prestige. In this respect, I do not find these actions right. On the contrary, our greatest desire is for the government to send the Syrians back to their own countries through consistent policies on this matter."

News Source: AA