After the Financial Times' interview with Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş was published late on Tuesday in which Demirtaş allegedly calls the PKK's retaliation "dirty," the HDP requested a correction to the Financial Times report in a flash, which now reads the retaliation "smelling of a dirty provocation." The reluctance of the HDP to distance itself from the terrorist organization PKK and condemn it has not changed, the quick denial shows.
In the interview with the Financial Times it says: "Demirtaş … describe[ed] PKK's retaliatory tactics – including a suicide bombing on an army outpost on Sunday that killed two soldiers and wounded dozens more – as ‘dirty.' "The HDP, however, denied the remark early on Wednesday, saying that Demirtaş's remarks were distorted. Demirtaş, according to the HDP, said: "Two police officers were killed in their sleep in Ceylanpınar. That also seemed like a very provocative incident and it was conducted most probably by people close to the PKK. After this, a big wave of attacks started on the PKK. "
The denial has been interpreted by many people as a further example of Demirtaş not distancing himself and his party from the terrorist organization. The HDP and Demirtaş have not used the PKK in a sentence condemning a bloody attack.
On the other hand, another Demirtaş interview was published on Tuesday, this time with the Turkish edition of Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster. During the interview, Demirtaş was asked whether he and his party should distance themselves from the PKK. He only opted to say: "We always express it quite clearly. We have never approved, encouraged or supported any armed attack."
Some see this as Demirtaş avoiding giving a crystal clear answer condemning the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.N., EU, U.S., NATO and many other international organizations.
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