Erdogan’s Political Coup
MEP: It all started with a Tweet: “I am at home in Diyarbakir, and security forces are standing behind the door of my house with arrest warrant.” This was the tweet of Selahattin Demirtas (ironstone), the leader of “Peoples’ Democratic” party in Turkey.
Peoples’ Democratic Party is the representative of Turkish Kurds and also is a distinguished party in Turkey because of women participation in the leadership. Democratic People’s Party was the only success Kurds for entering the Turkey’s political arena after years of armed struggle. It was glimmer of hope at the end of Kurdistan-Turkey conflict.
But last night, in addition to Selahattin Demirtas 10 others party leaders including Ms. Figen Yuksekdag (mountain) were arrested and interrogated.
As Demirtas was arrested, Twitter and WhatsApp was blocked in Turkey.
While a court was holding for Selahattin Demirtas be sent to jail, a suicide car bomb exploded in front of anti-terror police in Diyarbakir. The armed clashes were reported in the blast.
BBC Turkce announced Demirtas told the prosecutor: “Our fight for democracy will be fulfilled sooner or later. Erdogan’s corrupt regime would change as well. I don’t have any request or expectations from you.”
Reports from Istanbul suggest that People’s Democratic Party headquarters is surrounded by Turkey’s police and security forces.
These events caused international reactions:
Germany’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador in Berlin.
Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, called Turkey’s latest arrests of opposition highly alarming for freedom.
Federica Mogherini invited Europe Union ambassadors to an emergency meeting in Ankara.
Turkey tried years to justify its struggle with the Kurds as a fight against terrorism. But yesterday, a court in Brussels voted that Turkey is in a state of “civil war” and called Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers’ Party as party with armed struggle policy.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu (son of swords), the leader of Republican People’s opposition party, stated: “Turkey is like truck which its brakes fail downhill. The country is not going to be in peace by suppressing the elected representatives.”
A majority of independent experts interpreted Erdogan’s move to “cutting out Kurds from Turkey’s political arena” and considered it as Turkey’s military approach towards Kurds.
At a same time beyond the border of turkey, we are witness two completely different attitude:
Syrian Kurdistan: Tough statements by the leadership of Kurdish fighters.
Iraqi Kurdistan: the predictable silence of regional officials.
