Opposition leaders slam Erdoğan for urging Muslims to have 'patience' in face of financial problems

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Mainopposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğluon Oct. 8 paid a visit to Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA)chairman Ali Babacan to congratulate him for the party that heestablished in March.

Followingtheir meeting, the two opposition leaders held a press conference atDEVA's headquarters, during which they said they discussed Turkey'sproblems.

“There is a Turkey which is not being governed, and the cost of this is getting higher every day. Normally a sound management might be forced to go to elections,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, while Babacan touched upon the growing economic crisis in the country.

“There is an intervention amounting to 120 billion dollars since Jan. 1. This is to keep the foreign exchange rate at a specific level. It is not possible to talk about the existence of any economic policy [of the current rulership]. We are talking about steps taken randomly...It is natural that bad management leads to a loss in the value of our currency. We are talking about an economic policy that is full of contraction. The middle class is disappearing,” Babacan said.

Askedif an alliance with DEVA was on the CHP's agenda, Kılıçdaroğlusaid: “We came today just for a visit. We have not discussed anyalliance. If we go to elections, then such an issue might bediscussed.”

Kılıçdaroğluand Babacan were also asked to comment on President Recep TayyipErdoğan's comments from earlier this week urging the believers ofIslam to have “patience” in the face of financial problems.

“The person who loses himself to this life's charm loses both his world and the afterlife. The duty of the believer is not to be spoiled while living in wealth and to have patience while living in poverty,” Erdoğan said during a meeting with imams on Oct. 6.

Kılıçdaroğlusaid that Erdoğan was a “hypocrite” as he was living in a“Palace” whereas millions are grappling with poverty in thecountry. “If a person's words and life style are different, thereis hypocrisy there,” he said.

As for Babacan, he said that a government's job should not “be demanding patientce from citizens in the face of poverty, but rather to offer the highest level of prosperity level.”

Kılıçdaroğlu also touched upon a photo showing Erdoğan bowing when he greeted Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Oct. 7.

“Turkey can no longer be governed. There is today a photo showing Erdoğan bowing in front another state's executive. Why is he bowing? For money,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“Erdoğan is my rival in politics, but he should not bow for money in front of another state's leader,” he said.