Kilicdaroglu to continue leading CHP during campaign

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and now the presidential candidate for a six-party opposition bloc, said on Monday in his address to the party's parliamentary group that it was to be his "last address."

He told a group of reporters later in the day that he would nevertheless continue to lead the party in the course of the election campaign, Duvar's Nergis Demirkaya reported.

Asked if he was planning to visit political parties other than those in the alliance, Kilicdaroglu responded by saying that he had a plan to visit the earthquake zone beforehand.

He said:

"First of all I'll visit the earthquake zone for a fourth time (...) What are the most pressing issues right now, because it changes all the time. In the first phase of the disaster people were trying to pull out their families from beneath the rubble. Then they found themselves faced with problems of accommodation. A place to stay, a tent to get under, and access to water. Women and men are also facing particular problems of their own. The situation is still grim. It's got to be improved fast. So we should make our observations and I should be highlighting the most urgent issues. This is my job. And the government should respond by providing solutions. Effective solutions are yet to be provided, as far as we can see. People are faced with many problems, particularly the problem of shelter. There are also serious shortcomings in coordination of relief efforts."

Asked about the near collapse of the opposition bloc after Good Party leader Meral Aksener's accusing remarks on Friday and the narrow restoration that followed, Kilicdaroglu said:

"Disputes are only natural. A dispute is a sign of life. We sure will have disputes. What counts is being able to reach a compromise after the dispute. Everything's alright if you are able to resolve a problem."