Erdogan: The Request for Autonomy by Turkish Kurds is 'Treason'

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, described the request for autonomy for the Kurdish minority in Turkey made by Selahattin Demirtaş, the leader of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), as 'treason'. Mr. Demirtaş stated in a speech a few days ago that the largest ethnic minority in the country should decide on gaining autonomy or 'living under the tyranny of an individual'. On Monday, the Turkish Prosecutor's Office opened another legal case against Selahattin Demirtaş on charges of acting against the constitution and his proposal for Kurdish autonomy. Erdogan said on Tuesday, January 8, at a press conference at Istanbul Airport before his trip to Saudi Arabia: 'What he has done is clearly provocation and treason. This is the moment the mask has been removed and the true face is revealed.' Many experts believe that Selahattin Demirtaş has become Erdogan's main rival in recent years and is the only politician who can compete with the powerful rhetoric and slogans of the Turkish President. According to the regulations of the HDP, Selahattin Demirtaş shares the leadership of the party with Ms. Figen Yüksekdağ. In a speech addressing the parliamentary members of the party, Ms. Yüksekdağ responded to Erdogan's harsh remarks, stating: 'If there is a term that describes our party well, it is loyalty, not treason. We are loyal to the struggles of our people.' The Turkish government claims that the HDP is the political wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist group by both the Turkish government and Western governments. The Turkish President accused HDP politicians of being 'puppets of a terrorist group'. Referring to the legal cases against Demirtaş, he stated: 'I believe that the network of treason that wants to undermine the integrity of our country will soon receive a lesson from the people and the judiciary that they deserve.' According to AFP, tensions in Turkey's Kurdish regions are on the rise. In some cities in this region, where clashes between government forces and PKK militants have occurred, martial law has been imposed. Local media reported that a few days ago in the city of Cizre, one of the main hotspots of these clashes, a five-year-old boy playing in his yard was shot dead. The Turkish army confirmed the child's death but claimed he was killed by PKK militants' bullets. Last week, a three-month-old baby and his grandfather were caught in a crossfire and both were killed by gunfire. Residents of Kurdish cities living under martial law are facing food shortages and cuts in electricity and water supply. Many homes have been damaged due to shelling and mortar fire. According to a photographer from AFP in Diyarbakır, the largest city in the Kurdish regions, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse people protesting against the imposition of martial law. About two thousand people, most of whom were representatives of leftist unions, gathered in front of the municipality building, but police prevented their march. Another photographer from the agency reported that around 700 people gathered in a square in Ankara, calling for peace. The placards they carried read: 'No to war! Peace now' and 'No to war and pressure politics'. The Turkish army claims that over 200 PKK militants have been killed in recent government operations that began in early December in the provinces of Diyarbakır and Şırnak. In contrast, leaders of the HDP state that around 360 civilians, including 61 children and 73 women, have lost their lives during the violence that has escalated since this summer. It is not possible to determine the exact number of casualties as most of these areas are under martial law, and the Turkish army does not allow impartial and foreign observers to visit these regions.