MIDEAST-CRISIS/KURDS-HDP Turkey's pro-Kurdish party leader denies wrongdoing after Erdogan urges prosecution

Record ID: 146065

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/KURDS-HDP Turkey's pro-Kurdish party leader denies wrongdoing after Erdogan urges prosecution
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS WALKING TO PODIUM PARTY MEMBERS LISTENING TO DEMIRTAS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN, SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS, SAYING: "What is our unforgiveable crime? Our only crime is winning 13 per cent of the votes and reflecting the people's wish at the ballot box and for the parliament. I am saying, in brackets, there is no other wrongdoing they can blame us for. We fought for the development of democracy, removing injustice and making the principles of equality and freedom our permanent life system." AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN, SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS, SAYING: "Mr. President, you panicked because the PKK was going to disarm itself. You stopped it. It seems if PKK members come down from the mountains with their weapons, he will tell them to stop. He has no intention. I am saying very clearly, brothers, citizens, everyone living in Turkey has to know that the president of this country has stopped and prevented the disarmament of the PKK." AUDIENCE LISTENING
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2WZ1RKU40N9J4GEAD73F5AUYL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The head of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which President Tayyip Erdogan has accused of links with "terrorist groups", on Tuesday (July 28) denied any wrongdoing and said his group faced punishment simply for its electoral success.
    "What is our unforgiveable crime? Our only crime was winning 13 percent of vote," HDP chairman Selahattin Demirtas told members of his party in parliament.
    Erdogan earlier in the day called for the prosecution of party leaders and urged parliament to strip lawmakers of immunity from prosecution for alleged links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Demirtas accused Erdogan of obstructing a plan by the PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to call for his followers to disarm.
    "Mr. President, you panicked because the PKK was going to disarm itself. You stopped it. It seems if PKK members come down from the mountains with their weapons, he will tell them to stop. He has no intention. I am saying very clearly, brothers, citizens, everyone living in Turkey has to know that the president of this country has stopped and prevented the disarmament of the PKK," Demirtas said.
    Western allies have said they recognise Turkey's right to self-defence but have urged the NATO member not to allow peace efforts with the PKK to collapse. While deeming the PKK a terrorist organisation, Washington depends heavily on allied Syrian Kurdish fighters in battling Islamic State in Syria.
    An emergency NATO meeting in Brussels on Tuesday offered political support for Turkey's campaigns in Syria and Iraq, and Erdogan signalled Turkey may have a "duty" to become more involved.
    For NATO allies, the prospect of Turkey, which borders Iran, Iraq and Syria, fighting a domestic conflict against Kurdish as well as Islamist fighters is a deep concern. But for many in Turkey, Kurdish rebellion remains the primary national threat.
    Braving nationalist anger, Erdogan introduced tentative reforms on Kurdish rights and in 2012 launched negotiations to try to end a PKK insurgency that has killed 40,000 people since 1984. A fragile ceasefire had been holding since March 2013.
    However, any calculation Erdogan may have had that his political gamble would reap broad electoral support from Kurds, some 20 percent of the population, demonstrably failed.
    The pro-Kurdish HDP party won 13 per cent of the vote in a June 7 poll, helping to deprive the AKP Erdogan founded of a majority in parliament for the first time since 2002.
    Many Kurds believe that by reviving conflict with the PKK, Erdogan seeks to undermine support for the HDP ahead of a possible early election. That poll - so runs the argument - could then provide him with the majority he seeks to change the constitution and increase his powers.
    Turkey has shut down almost all Kurdish political parties over the years. Erdogan, who wants the AKP to win back a majority and has recently accused the HDP of links to the PKK, said he opposed party closures, but urged parliament to lift the immunity of politicians with links to "terrorist groups".
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