Erdogan Intends to Neutralize His Opponents

• 07.31.2015, 13:21
•  Region,  Near East,  World

The actions of the Justice and Development Party against the PKK are gradually turning into a campaign against all Kurdish forces in Turkey. Turkish authorities make every effort to discredit People's Democratic Party (HDP) at this stage of the formation of a coalition government or to weaken its positions in case new elections are held.

The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtas for allegedly provoking people by arming them during violent protests triggered by events in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani late last year, Today’s Zaman reports. During the protests on Oct 6-7, 2014 30 people were killed. The HDP politician faces up to 24 years in prison if his immunity is lifted by parliament.

It is noteworthy that the prosecutors seek to strip nine other deputies from their legislative immunity, among them Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. This means that the ruling regime takes the opportunity to "revenge" also other political parties.

Earlier Demirtas said he is not afraid of lifting his immunity, Anadolu News Agency reports. "If you are not afraid, let’s lift immunities altogether," said Demirtas, addressing the Justice and Development Party.

Kurdish politician also said that a deep state organization directly linked to Erdoգan conducted a suicide bombing attack that killed 32 people in the southeastern district of Suruc on July 20̦ Hurriyet reports. This announcement has caused a stir among the Turkish public and political circles. Erdogan denied Demirtas’s accusations, adding that they were "vulgar statements".

The actions of the Justice and Development Party once again proof analysts' assumptions that Erdogan does not want to make concessions to form a coalition government and prefers to hold new elections. But this time Erdogan wants to be sure that has enough weakened the political parties’ positions that had considerable success during the last parliamentary elections. The Justice and Development Party should be sure that it would be able to return his parliamentary majority. In this situation the possibility of new elections becomes more realistic.