Turkish opposition leader against war with Syria, calls for peace in the region

Turkey’s Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has again slammed the government’s desire to engage in a military operation against Syria, calling for peace in the region.

“We neither want war in our country, nor with our neighbors. We want Muslims to stop killing Muslims,” Kılıçdaroğlu said late on Sept. 17 in the northwestern province of Balıkesir, where he was attending a commemoration ceremony in the Bandırma district.

He also mentioned the words of the founder of the Turkish republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, “War is a crime if it’s not obligatory,” and urged the government to pursue non-military actions to stop the violence in neighboring Syria.