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Turkey
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu speaking at a parliamentary discussion in Ankara. Date: November 18, 2022. Photo: Suleyman Soylu/Twitter
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Friday verbally attacked a Kurdish lawmaker by describing him as a “terrorist scrap” during a discussion at the parliament after the parliamentarian criticized the security forces for cracking down on his pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Soylu attended a budget discussion at the Turkish parliament on Friday, mostly focusing on his country’s fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the HDP’s alleged link to the group.
HDP’s Sait Dede protested against the security forces’ clampdown on the members of his party since 2015. Ridvan Turan, another HDP lawmaker, supported his colleague, according to a footage which only shows Soylu and some other government officials and a commander.
“You are all terrorists,” said Soylu to both Kurdish lawmakers - a term Turkish officials use for the PKK members and sometimes for HDP officials.
Soylu also accused the lawmakers of being “America’s toys.”
Some Turkish officials claim that the HDP is the political wing of the PKK - an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. However, the HDP has denied any organic ties with the group.
Thousands of HDP supporters, members, and officials have been detained in Turkey in recent years, including the party’s former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag. Most of them have been charged with propagating for or being a member of a terrorist organization.
Soylu attended a budget discussion at the Turkish parliament on Friday, mostly focusing on his country’s fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the HDP’s alleged link to the group.
HDP’s Sait Dede protested against the security forces’ clampdown on the members of his party since 2015. Ridvan Turan, another HDP lawmaker, supported his colleague, according to a footage which only shows Soylu and some other government officials and a commander.
“Do not raise your hand. Impudent! Sit down terrorist scrap!” The Turkish interior minister angrily said after Turan spoke. Soylu later repeatedly asked the Kurdish lawmaker to sit down and not raise his hand.İçişleri Bakanı Soylu'dan HDP'li Rıdvan Turan'a: "Elini kaldırma terörist bozuntusu terbiyesiz, hepiniz teröristsiniz"https://t.co/DXftuQuZhP pic.twitter.com/JnznoxmwnI
— T24 (@t24comtr) November 18, 2022
“You are all terrorists,” said Soylu to both Kurdish lawmakers - a term Turkish officials use for the PKK members and sometimes for HDP officials.
Soylu also accused the lawmakers of being “America’s toys.”
Some Turkish officials claim that the HDP is the political wing of the PKK - an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. However, the HDP has denied any organic ties with the group.
Thousands of HDP supporters, members, and officials have been detained in Turkey in recent years, including the party’s former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag. Most of them have been charged with propagating for or being a member of a terrorist organization.
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