Terrorist supporters should be stripped of their citizenship, says Erdogan
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested on Tuesday that supporters of terrorism should be stripped of their Turkish citizenship.
"We need to be decisive to take all the necessary measures including stripping of citizenship for terror organization supporters," he said in a televised speech. "This state has nothing to discuss with terrorists. That business is over."
While he didn't single out one group his comments are likely directed against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Islamic State (ISIS), both of whom have been responsible for bomb attacks in Turkey in recent months.
Since a fragile ceasefire and failed peace process broke down last July Turkey has been mired in conflict with the PKK in the Kurdish-majority southeast once again.
Erdogan has sought to destroy that group. He has also used the war to call for the stripping of legal immunity from Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) parliamentarians for being part of a political party he has long charged with being closely connected with the PKK.
"We need to be decisive to take all the necessary measures including stripping of citizenship for terror organization supporters," he said in a televised speech. "This state has nothing to discuss with terrorists. That business is over."
While he didn't single out one group his comments are likely directed against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Islamic State (ISIS), both of whom have been responsible for bomb attacks in Turkey in recent months.
Since a fragile ceasefire and failed peace process broke down last July Turkey has been mired in conflict with the PKK in the Kurdish-majority southeast once again.
Erdogan has sought to destroy that group. He has also used the war to call for the stripping of legal immunity from Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) parliamentarians for being part of a political party he has long charged with being closely connected with the PKK.