Baykal: "The CHP is concerned with how people think, not how they dress"

Rebuffing critics of his party's recent welcome mat for women wearing headscarves and chadors, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that his party is acting out of human concerns, which are not contrary to secularism. Addressing his parliamentary group meeting, Baykal said, "Even if they are wearing chadors, I cannot turn away people from the CHP who believe that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deceived them." He added that the CHP is concerned with how people think, not how they dress. He also criticized possible government plans to ease the prison isolation of convicted terrorist PKK head Abdullah Ocalan, saying, "Unfortunately, the PKK succeeded in making the government change its attitude towards Ocalan through violence."