Erdogan says PKK behind campaign against his empowerment

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Turkey’s President on Saturday launched a yes campaign for an upcoming referendum transferring increased administrative powers to his office, blaming the opposition for siding with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Are those who say no aware what they are against?”  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a symposium in Istanbul meant to present the case for an executive presidential system.

“Who says no? The PKK says no. The Qandil says no. Those who want to divide and rip apart this country say no. Those against our flag say no,” he continued.

The Turkish President’s remarks, carried by the state-funded Anadolu Agency, came a day after his ratification of a bill of constitutional reform the Justice and Development Party (AKP)-dominated parliament passed last month.

Erdogan also accused the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) of acting with the outlawed PKK.

The Kurdish group has been fighting Turkish troops in a four decades-long guerrilla warfare over government repression of Kurdish cultural and political rights.

Shortly after Erdogan’s speech, the Supreme Electoral Council announced April 16 as the referendum day.

On that day, 55 million people at home and nearly three million abroad would be eligible to vote whether to approve the 18 article-bill.

Two weeks ago, one of the PKK’s senior commanders and founders Duran Kalkan urged voters to say no to “Erdogan’s one-man rule for the sake of Kurdistan’s future.”

Turkey’s Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) strongly opposes giving Erdogan more powers such as dissolving the parliament and declaring emergency rule since the last two years.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany