ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Selahattin Demirtas, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Paty (HDP), said Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) must take the blame for Saturday's twin blasts at an Ankara railway station that has left at least 40 people dead and 100 wounded.
“The AKP’s hands are red with blood and they support this terror,” said Demirtas to a crowd of reporters at HDP headquarters in Ankara.
Turkish government officials described the blasts as a "terrorist attack" and said they were investigating claims that a suicide bomber was responsible.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is to reportedly scheduled to hold a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan, government officials and security chiefs in response to the attack.
Demirtas alleged that the people of Turkey have no right to freedom of expression and are forced to support the government.
“In this country, whoever speaks out against the government will be shot...[I]if you don’t support the government you will be deprived from basic human rights and means of prosperity," Demirtas told the press.
“If a child throws a stone at the police, they will answer him with a bullet."
Demirtas said that whenever his HDP party kick offs an election campaigns an attack occurs.
“Unfortunately, another massacre happened and those rallying for peace were brutally wounded and killed. It reminds us of the Suruc explosion,” Demirtas added, referring to a mid-July attack that killed 27 people at a student rally in the southern Turkish town of Suruc.
He continued: "[The government] wants to silence us but we will continue our peaceful struggle until the last drop of our blood. And I told them, 'If you want to stop us with these cowardly explosions, you cannot.'”
Turkey's new polls are scheduled to be held Nov 1.
