Minister From HDP Asks Interior Minister: Are You Minister Of Dictatorship?

Interim Development Minister Müslüm Doğan from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has lambasted interim Interior Minister Selami Altınok for previous comments threatening dissenters with crushing their heads.

Altınok recently threatened the people who disagree with government-led unlawful practices by adopting a critical stance, saying that the interim Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government will not allow any revolt against the state and, if required, their heads will be crushed.

Minister Doğan responded to Altınok's remarks via the Cumhuriyet daily on Friday, to which he commented: "A state cannot be ruled by police-style methods. He [Altınok] should decide whether he is the minister of dictatorship or someone who obeys the law."

Doğan further remarked that he condemns Altınok's comments about crushing heads, adding: "His logic is not healthy. A state cannot be ruled by such methods. Altınok should make his decision whether he is a minister of dictatorship or a minister in a state where the rule of law governs the country. We, as the HDP, reject such a problematic understanding and condemn Altınok's remarks."

Doğan emphasized that they will take the issue to the first Cabinet meeting of the interim government in the coming days and will discuss it with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

"The HDP will deliver an explicit message to Davutoğlu that Altınok's stance against dissenters is unacceptable."

The government has long oppressed many who are critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and of government policies, especially since the massive corruption scandal that went public on Dec. 17, 2013 implicating Erdoğan's inner circle.

Erdoğan and the then-AK Party government's response to the revelation of the graft scandal was to try to cover it up and punish all who had a role in the scandal going public.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)