HDP MP Taşdemir to Soylu: Where is this camera footage?

* Photo: HDP

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Targeted by Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu, who alleged that she had gone to Gare, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ağrı MP Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir held a press conference at the HDP Central Office in the capital city of Ankara today (February 22).

Attending the conference along with HDP Group Deputy Chair Saruhan Oluç and HDP MPs, Taşdemir has announced that she will file a criminal complaint about the remarks of Süleyman Soylu about her.

CLICK - 'We went to Qandil with knowledge, approval of Erdoğan'

After 13 police officers, soldiers and intelligence officers of Turkey lost their lives during a military operation in the Gare region in Iraq's north, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu said in a speech at the Parliament that one woman MP from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) had gone there.

He has recently alleged that this MP was HDP Ağrı MP Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir. Shortly after this allegation was voiced in a TV program, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against the MP for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization."

'An operation to save one's seat'

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), addressing the reporters about the allegations of Soylu, Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir reiterated that these allegations do not reflect the truth, defining them as "lies and slanders."

She noted that "while the Minister of Interior, addressing the Parliament on February 16, should have answered for the Gare operation, he turned the HDP into a target." Reminding the public that Soylu only said "An MP from the Parliament went there" without giving a name, Taşdemir underlined that the Minister "created a certain public perception for four days."

"After four days, he got on a pro-government television channel and insulted our party for an hour. He turned this into a show by making such remarks as 'Coming soon, in just a moment...'

"Then, he gave my name, but did not present any evidence. He committed a character assassination based on rumors," added Taşdemir.

The MP also asked Minister Soylu, "If you had such information and such a document, why didn't you give it to the prosecutor, but announced it on TV? Why did you wait for the Gare operation to announce it?"

"We know the reason. It is an operation to save one's seat. We are subjected to groundless, monstrous lies, false news and slanders almost every day just because of this," Taşdemir indicated further.

'Disclose the documents'

Further in her speech, HDP's Taşdemir reiterated the HDP Central Executive Board statement drawing a parallel between the "method of the [Gülen] community and those used by Soylu." Taşdemir briefly said:

"This type of politics is called the politics of 'Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.' Soylu, who has embraced the community's methods quite well, is doing a character assassination by using these methods and targeting me and my party. We do not accept this in any way at all.

"I am asking again: When did I go to Gare? On which day did I go there? Announce it with documents. Don't tell us stories..."

Referring to the statement of Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar at the Parliament, Taşdemir said, "Hulusi Akar announced it... When did I go to a region where even the army had difficulties in going? When did I get training? When did I show up there and come back?"

"Soylu talked about camera footage before. Where is this camera footage? Where are these photos," asked Taşdemir further.

'I will file a criminal complaint'

Concluding her statement, Taşdemir said: "I will use my all legal rights; I will file a criminal complaint and file a suit for damages. I will use the damages to be paid to me for the poor children in Ağrı.

"I have been an MP since June 7. I went abroad with my diplomatic passport; the places where I went and stayed are apparent and registered, so are the activities that I engaged in. I did everything openly; I broadcast the events that I attended on my social media accounts."

What happened?

Turkey's Minister of National Defense announced that the Turkish Armed Forces launched the "Operation Claw Eagle 2" against the PKK in the Gare region on the night of February 10 at 2.55 a.m.

During the armed conflicts that ensued in the region, two soldiers lost their lives and four others were wounded. Making a statement on February 14, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar announced that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) concluded its "Operation Claw Eagle-2" in the territory of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq's north.

The dead bodies of 13 soldiers and police officers, taken hostages and held by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), were reportedly found during a search in a cave in the mountainous Gare area.

Making a statement later on, Malatya Governor Baruş has said that these persons were kidnapped by the PKK in 2015 and 2016. (EMK/SD)