Experts, poll find CHP more convincing in Turkey's debate

The main opposition CHP deputy leader of the parliamentary group, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and Justice and Development Party's (AKP) deputy leader, Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat decided this week to hold a debate to clarify the opposition's claims.Kilicdaroglu had accused a company, in which Firat was previously a stakeholder, of making fictitious exports and drug smuggling. The debate was chaired by experienced journalist Ugur Dundar, the news manager of Star TV.Following the debate, political experts and journalists agreed that Kilicdaroglu was the more dominant and that the debate is a win for democracy. An online poll conducted by hurriyet.com.tr during the debate also showed that the CHP deputy was perceived as successfully proving his claims. CLAIMS ON FICTITIOUS EXPORTS

Kilicdaroglu showed the documents of court rulings that the company was fined for making fictitious exports while Firat was still sitting on the board. The AKP executive rejected the claims, saying that Kilicdaroglu is perverting the facts regarding the legal processes against the related company, MENAS.

Fikret Bila, a Milliyet daily columnist and a former commissioner of audit, said Kilicdaroglu proved that the company, MENAS, had conducted fictitious exports while Firat was a board member.

CLAIMS ON DRUG SMUGGLING

The two politicians also debated Kilicdaroglu's claims that the same company was accused of smuggling heroin. Firat rejected the charge, claiming the driver of the truck was responsible, adding that at the time of the incident he was no longer an executive of the company.Murat Yetkin, Radikal daily's Ankara bureau chief, said Kilicdaroglu was more persuasive. "The responses of Firat were insufficient... Kilicdaroglu was the winner of the match if one can consider it a match," he said, but criticized that such debates might hurt democratic values if they are made frequently.

ONLINE POLL

Selim Oktar, a political communications expert, also said the main opposition CHP benefited from the debate and used this as an opportunity to make its voice heard.An online poll conducted by hurriyet.com.tr during and after the televised debate revealed that 58.8 percent (78,506 votes) of respondents believe Kilicdaroglu is telling the truth. A total of 133,402 readers participated in the poll.Cuneyt Ulsever, a journalist with Hurriyet daily, said these kinds of debates should continue and said the documents presented by Kilicdaroglu revealed that he was closer to the truth.Although the general view is that CHP was more convincing, both deputies said after the debate that they were not convinced by each other's claims. Firat said he would not resign and Kilicdaroglu should apologize, while CHP executive urged Firat to resign. Yilmaz Karakoyunlu, a former minister, said the outcome of the debate was not satisfying. "No result emerged from the debate and I am not satisfied," Karakoyunlu said, adding that this debate was personal and would not lead to a political conclusion.The argument between the two MPs was triggered when Kilicdaroglu made a series of corruption and fraud allegations involving members of the ruling AKP.The allegations included documents evidencing the wrongdoings of AKP members and individuals with close ties to the ruling party of involvement in cases of fraud, including the Deniz Feneri charity case that recently concluded in Germany. The latest of those allegations related to the discovery of heroin among goods being exported by a company of which the ruling Firat is said to be a major partner.