Kilicdaroglu attends meeting of socialist international

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu yesterday attended a meeting of the Socialist International in Cascais, Portugal, in which he evaluated the current issues concerning Turkey. Citing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements about Turkey's intention to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Kilicdaroglu said, "I don't consider such a proposal as consistent and healthy." Touching on Turkey's EU bid, Kilicdaroglu said, "The EU is putting us off. Besides, we have been imposed certain criteria, which have not been imposed on other countries. We are disturbed by these issues and we don't consider them right." On the sidelines of the meeting, President of Socialist International (SI) and also former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou delivered the opening remarks, underlining that the socialists should act in solidarity in relation to the economic crisis suffered by Europe. "The spirit of solidarity which has been initiated by me and [former Turkish Foreign Minister] Ismail Cem and then which has created a change in relations between Greece and Turkey should prevail now in the Socialist International for Europe as well," Papandreou said. Papandreou defined the solution for economic crisis as a Europe which makes investments, provides incentives, acts boldly and competitively and creates employment and which is also based on quality and equality.