Turkey Pm: Pro-Kurdish Party Owes Apology Over Protests

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called on Saturday on a pro-Kurdish opposition party to apologize to Turkey's people over deadly protests that rocked the country last month.



"If the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is sincere in regards to the solution process, they owe an apology to this nation," Davutoglu said in an address, during his party's district congress held in Turkey's eastern province of Agri.



The prime minister said his government stood strong against vandals and those who wanted to disrupt the nation.



He was referring to those who took to the streets following a call issued by the HDP for protests in solidarity with the ISIL-besieged Syrian town of Kobani, which is largely populated by Kurds.



The call was followed by a week of violence that left at least 38 civilians and two police officers dead, along with scores of damaged vehicles, state buildings, political party offices and shops.  



He also urged the pro-Kurdish opposition not to incite violence or invite their supporters to take to the streets again.



The Turkish government launched the solution process last year, aiming to secure an end to the decades-long conflict with the terrorist PKK which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. 



Davutoglu pledged to complete the solution process as a brotherly process and to meet with Kurds beyond Turkish borders, adding: "No one will be able to prevent this brotherhood lasting forever."



Slander in politics



Davutoglu also slammed the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu over his remarks claiming that the country's intelligence agency carried out activities to destabilize his party. 



"Kilicdaroglu is trying to blame the difficulties of his party, which is about to dissolve over his failed leadership, on state institutions," the prime minister said, calling on him not to use slander in politics.



Davutoglu warned the opposition leader not to insult and slander state institutions, which he said was a move to cover his own weakness.   



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ağrı