ANKARA (A.A) - 11.08.2002 - Democratic Left Party (DSP) deputy group leader Aydýn Tumen said on Sunday that Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli and his party attempts to accuse other political parties and to manipulate the issue of terrorism for the coming elections.
Issuing a written statement on the issue, Tumen said that the words of Bahceli who said that all political parties except MHP in the parliament were supporting terrorist organization PKK are very improper.
Stressing that nobody in this country supports terrorist organization which claimed the lives of thousands of people, Tumen said that ''Mr. Bahceli has to mention the parties he is referring and show evidences if he has about the connection between these parties and the terrorist organization PKK. Making accusations by restricting the EU adjustment laws bill to Ocalan case, is insulting the parliament.''
''Chief terrorist Ocalan was brought to Turkey during the DSP's government through a successful operation. And he was handed over to the justice. Terrorism was eradicated in the region. What did Bahceli and his party do during the fight against terrorism other than showing off at the funerals of soldiers who were victims of terrorism? Where was Bahceli when young Turkish men were risking their lives in the mountains to clear this country off terrorists?''
''Bahceli and the MHP are using Ocalan in their politics during an election environment and they accuse other parties. I find his attitude very inappropriate. They should not exploit people's emotions to do politics. We cannot accept his accusations against the DSP which brought Ocalan to Turkey and handed him over to justice. The DSP never used Ocalan as a tool in Turkey's domestic politics. The reforms passed by the Turkish Parliament were not passed to forgive Ocalan or save him. Parliament did nothing but passed a regulation that would prevent Ocalan from hurting Turkey's future.''