Erdogan stirs controversy with new “anti-terror” pledge
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Turkish president’s recent warning that “terrorists” will be stripped of their citizenship has created a new controversy in a country which has survived similar “anti-terror” laws in its violent past.
“We should be throwing them out of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey or even denaturalize them. These people cannot be MPs or citizens of this country," President Receb Tayyib Erdogan told reporters recently referring to the lawmakers of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) who have often been regarded as the supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Turkish parliament.
“The parties of assembly should do what is needed to pave the way for the MPs to be tried,” Erdogan added.
The president’s closest officials, including the prime minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, later reiterated Erdogan’s bold warning although he said no legal actions had yet been taken.
“When you are involved in terror activities and harm the public good, then you have no moral bonds with the people of that society,” Davutoglu said.
The denaturalization of citizens in Turkey has its roots in the 1980’s infamous decree which effectively stripped some 14,000 people of the Turkish citizenship, including the celebrated Kurdish director, Yelmaz Gunai.
An estimated 5,500 people are on trial currently in 95 prosecutions charged with anti-government activities, according to Turkish rights groups.
“Thousands have faced legal actions without charges and denaturalizing citizens will further escalate the violence in the country,” said Mark Lagon, president of the US-based Freedom House about Erdogan’s recent comments.
But Kurdish lawmakers from the president’s own party say the warning is not against the Kurds but against the “terrorists.”
“The president wanted to openly say that the country will continue its campaign against terror,” Urhan Miroglu a Kurdish MP from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) told Rudaw and said that the PKK media outlets had distorted Erdogan’s comments.
“We should be throwing them out of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey or even denaturalize them. These people cannot be MPs or citizens of this country," President Receb Tayyib Erdogan told reporters recently referring to the lawmakers of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) who have often been regarded as the supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Turkish parliament.
“The parties of assembly should do what is needed to pave the way for the MPs to be tried,” Erdogan added.
The president’s closest officials, including the prime minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, later reiterated Erdogan’s bold warning although he said no legal actions had yet been taken.
“When you are involved in terror activities and harm the public good, then you have no moral bonds with the people of that society,” Davutoglu said.
The denaturalization of citizens in Turkey has its roots in the 1980’s infamous decree which effectively stripped some 14,000 people of the Turkish citizenship, including the celebrated Kurdish director, Yelmaz Gunai.
An estimated 5,500 people are on trial currently in 95 prosecutions charged with anti-government activities, according to Turkish rights groups.
“Thousands have faced legal actions without charges and denaturalizing citizens will further escalate the violence in the country,” said Mark Lagon, president of the US-based Freedom House about Erdogan’s recent comments.
But Kurdish lawmakers from the president’s own party say the warning is not against the Kurds but against the “terrorists.”
“The president wanted to openly say that the country will continue its campaign against terror,” Urhan Miroglu a Kurdish MP from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) told Rudaw and said that the PKK media outlets had distorted Erdogan’s comments.