Bahçeli Refuses Meeting CHP Leader, Cites 'İnconvenient Timing'

Turkey's nationalist party leader has refused a request for an appointment with the leader of Turkey's social-democrat party, solely citing "inconvenient timing" as the reason for his refusal.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had a meeting with Justice and Development Party (AKP) head Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Oct. 10, hours after the double suicide bombings in Ankara that killed at least 97 people and sparked outrage over the authorities' failure to ensure security.

Following his meeting with Davutoğlu, Kılıçdaroğlu said he asked for an appointment from both Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, whose party's grassroots had a major presence at the peace rally subjected to the attack.

Nonetheless, in his negative response delivered on Oct. 12, Bahçeli ruled out such a meeting with Kılıçdaroğlu, saying, "The timing was not convenient."

In a statement commenting on the attack released on Oct. 10, Bahçeli blamed Turkey's foreign policy.

"Turkey has been paying the price of the sympathetic and warm approach to terror and biased and non-national approach in foreign policy. Both President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan and PM Davutoğlu should immediately demonstrate the necessary will to reconstruct national security" Bahçeli said. - Ankara