By Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA
The leader of Turkey's main opposition has said that his party did not "approve" of the U.S. move to suspend non-immigrant visa operations in Turkey.
Speaking at the Republican People's Party’s (CHP) parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, Kemal Kilicdaroglu called the move "definitely not correct" and added, "We never approve it."
"Thousands of students, patients, and businesspeople would go to the U.S., [but] they are all being blocked. Those who have been punished are not the government but the 80 million [Turkish citizens]," he said.
"We think such severe sanctions [should not exist] between strategic allies," he added.
The leader of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said the U.S. was causing a virtual crisis by suspending non-immigrant visa operations at diplomatic facilities in Turkey.
In his party's parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, Devlet Bahceli said he approved Turkey's retaliation, i.e. to suspend non-immigrant visa service in the U.S. citing security concerns.
"The U.S. tried to cause a virtual crisis with lame excuses," said Bahceli on the visa suspension.
Describing the U.S. move as "a scandal", Bahceli said that the tension between the two countries should not be projected onto their citizens.
"The decision, which is an abdication of reason, will just [...] deepen the gap between the two countries," he said.
Last Wednesday, Turkish national Metin Topuz, confirmed by the U.S.’ Istanbul Consulate as a local employee, was remanded in custody over terror charges by an Istanbul court last Wednesday.
Topuz is suspected to be linked to the Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s defeated coup attempt in Turkey.
On Sunday, the U.S. suspended all non-immigrant visa operations at all U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey, saying it was reassessing Turkey's commitment to the security of U.S. facilities and personnel.
Turkey retaliated by suspending non-immigrant visa service in the U.S. citing security concerns.
Kilicdaroglu also said that his party supports the Turkish army's current operation into Idlib, Syria, which started on Saturday.
"We support our army going to Idlib. The Turkish army should go there and create a de-escalation zone," said Kilicdaroglu.
Kilicdaroglu added that Turkey must secure its future and border. "This is what a big country should do."
The action in Idlib comes after guarantor countries -- Russia, Turkey, and Iran -- agreed to establish de-escalation zones in Syria during a May meeting in the Kazakh capital Astana.
