ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said on Monday that the man who attacked their office in Istanbul late December has been released. It claimed that this indicates that assailants are encouraged by the government to commit crimes.
“The attacker who attacked our Bahcelievler District Organization has been released. This decision indicates that the murderers are patted on the back and the attackers encouraged [to commit crimes]. We will not stay silent in the face of this organised crime and accomplices. We will definitely hold them accountable,” the HDP said in a tweet.
Two people were injured when the assailant, Muhammed Eren Sutcu, attacked the building in Istanbul on December 28. He reportedly introduced himself as a sympathiser of the party before attacking members with a knife and gun.
The assailant managed to flee the incident area but he was later detained by police.
This was not the first time HDP offices were attacked. In June, the daughter of one of the HDP members was killed when the party office in Izmir was attacked. The attack has been widely condemned.
The HDP has been accused by some Turkish officials and nationalists of having a link with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - which is an armed group struggling for the rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara has designated the group as a terrorist organization.
Last year, an indictment was filed for the closure of the HDP but it has not reached any conclusion. The party has been subjected to raids and crackdowns and thousands of its members, officials and lawmakers have been jailed for terror charges, including former co-chiars Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag who have been behind bars since November 2016.
