Imprisoned Kurdish leader Demirtas condemns Istanbul attack

"Every attack targeting civilians, no matter what purpose or reason, is terrorism."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/11/13 22:57

In this file photo, the then-co-chair of the HDP Selahattin Demirtaş delivers a speech in Istanbul during a rally, Istanbul, Turkey, June 5, 2016. (Photo: AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Selahattin Demirtas, the jailed former co-leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), on Sunday condemned the attack in Istanbul that killed six and injured at least 81 more.

1- Kim hangi amaçla ya da gerekçeyle yapmis olursa olsun, sivilleri hedef alan her saldırı hukuken, siyaseten, ahlâken ve vicdanen terördür. Asla kabul etmiyoruz.
— Selahattin Demirtaş (@hdpdemirtas) November 13, 2022

"Every attack targeting civilians, no matter what purpose or reason, is terrorism legally, politically, morally and conscientiously. We will never accept this," he said in a tweet.

"I also condemn the terrorist act that openly targets innocent civilians on Istiklal Street. I wish God's mercy on those who lost their lives, my condolences to their relatives, and a speedy recovery to the injured."

The Istanbul attack comes ahead of the country's June 2023 general elections and a rapprochement between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the HDP.

Demirtas remains jailed in Turkey since 2006 despite European Court of Human Rights rulings calling for his immediate release.

On Saturday, for the first time Demirtas was allowed to visit his sick father in the hospital outside of the prison. After the visit, he was returned to his prison cell in the Edirne prison.