Turkey’S Two Opposition Parties Kick Off Foreign Election Campaign From Germany

- Two of Turkey’s opposition parties have kicked-off their foreign election campaigns in Germany over the weekend, targeting the more than 2.7 million Turkish voters living abroad.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) initiated its foreign election campaign in the German city of Oberhausen, where MHP head Devlet Bahçeli slammed European leaders who used the word “genocide” to define the 1915 killing of Anatolian Armenians.

Speaking to a crowd of around 10,000 Turks in an event organized by the European Turkish Confederation, Bahçeli said U.S. President Barack Obama had come to the verge of calling the 1915 incidents “genocide” by calling it the “first mass atrocity of the 20th century,” adding he had considered the words of Pope Francis, who had used the word “genocide,” to be positive.

“Like you would understand, whoever has issues with Turkey has regarded the 100th year of the 1915 incidents as a chance. All of the dirty aims have been littered around,” said Bahçeli on April 26.

Meanwhile, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) launched its foreign election campaign in the German city of Düsseldorf on April 25, where CHP head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said they had submitted a draft bill for the Turkish citizens living abroad to be represented at the Turkish parliament.

“Our goal is such: At least 10 deputies from abroad should represent our workers, employees and citizens who live and work abroad. We have submitted our draft bill,” said Kılıçdaroğlu, adding this would be among their first tasks when the CHP comes to government after the June 7 elections.