Erdogan Accused of Staging "Palace Coup" by Pro-Kurdish Party Leader

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of staging a "palace coup" by waging a double-sided war against jihadists in Syria and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq. HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas claimed that Erdogan implemented a "palace coup" against the will of the nation after the AKP lost its absolute majority in the parliamentary elections on June 7. Demirtas also accused Erdogan of sabotaging the peace process with the PKK, which he believed was on the verge of being finalized with a conference on disarmament.

Key Takeaways:

• The HDP has accused President Erdogan of staging a "palace coup" by waging a double-sided war against jihadists in Syria and the PKK in northern Iraq.
• HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas claimed that Erdogan's actions were a betrayal of the nation and a threat to the peace process with the PKK.
• The PKK would have been a valuable ally against the Islamic State in Syria if the peace process had continued, according to Demirtas.
• Demirtas accused Erdogan's presidency of leading the country into a "dirty war" against the HDP with private "Gladio" henchmen.
• The HDP leader also condemned the Suruc massacre on July 21 and the murder of two policemen, but questioned the PKK's claim of responsibility for the latter crime.
• Erdogan ended the peace process with the PKK on Tuesday, despite Demirtas' pleas to continue it for just one more week.
• The AKP lost its absolute majority in the parliamentary elections on June 7.

Statistics:

• 32 people killed in the Suruc massacre on July 21.
• 59 people injured in the Suruc massacre.
• Erdogan ended the peace process with the PKK on Tuesday.
• The HDP leader, Selahattin Demirtas, has been a vocal critic of Erdogan's presidency.
• The AKP has been the ruling party in Turkey since 2002.

Sources:

• EFE, "Turkey's Erdogan accused of staging 'palace coup' by HDP leader" (July 28, 2015)