MESOP: SELAHATTIN THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE / HIS KANDIL ORDERED ROLE

HDP leader Says Turkey Has The Right to Protect Itself From Attacks

Demirtaş calls on Ankara and the PKK to halt violence – Basnews – 02.08.2015 – ANKARA – The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş says that the Turkish government has a right to protect itself against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) attacks, and demands both sides end fighting.Demirtaş today called on Ankara and the PKK to halt violence, in the midst of heightened tensions between the PKK and Ankara – which include airstrikes against the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan and hundreds of arrests by the government and PKK attacks on Turkish security forces, including suicide bombings. Demirtaş reiterated his earlier call for an end to the violence and urged Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to take the initiative.

“The state has a right to protect itself. The prime minister needs to send a message that it will not fire until being fired upon,” said Demirtaş, adding, “The PKK needs to halt its attacks, and the government needs to halt operations.” Reports indicate that Turkish air force raids into PKK camps in mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have resulted in the deaths of 260 PKK guerrillas since July 24th. The HDP have also been targeted with calls from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to have the party’s immunity lifted and reports of a possible investigation into the HDP’s alleged ties to the PKK.The HDP has countered the request by filing a petition to parliament demanding Erdoğan’s own Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) immunity be removed. On Saturday, Demirtaş also claimed that Erdoğan was working on a plan to have the HDP closed down, which has been denied by the AKP.