Turkey's main opposition leader slams Erdogan for supporting Muslim Brotherhood

CAIRO – 18 July 2019: Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has slammed Turkish President Receb Tayyib Erdogan and his policies, especially regarding his support to the Muslim Brotherhood and rivalry with Egypt.

Speaking at the CHP’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara, Kılıçdaroğlu said the Muslim Brotherhood, Erdoğan’s traditional ally in Libya and other regional countries, should be abandoned.

The Brotherhood is a designated terrorist organization in many countries. It supports Islamist militias in Libya, Egypt, Syria and elsewhere.

Erdoğan’s own Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has strong ties to members of the Brotherhood worldwide.

Kılıçdaroğlu also called on Erdoğan to “stop sending arms to Libya”, which violates the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations since 2011.

For peace in the region, relationships with Egypt must be ameliorated, according to Kılıçdaoğlu.

“Turkey’s interests are above anything else. Peace with Egypt must be made. We should not be in quarrel with any nation. Why don’t we have an ambassador [in Egypt]?” he said.

“A peace and cooperation organization in the Middle East must be established,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“Turkey will have to bear heavy consequences if it follows an ‘adventurous’ foreign policy,” he added.