Demirtaş: Türkiye's militarist opposition also responsible for lynching of Korur-Fincancı

Selahattin Demirtaş, the imprisoned former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has criticized some parts of the country's opposition over their stance on the arrest of the head of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB).

Şebnem Korur-Fincancı was arrested on October 26 on suspicion of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" because of her comments about the allegations that Türkiye used chemical weapons in its military operations in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

While several opposition parties, including the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the HDP, criticized the arrest, the İYİ (Good) Party, an ally of the CHP, joined the accusations against Korur-Fincancı.

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"Lack of an atmosphere for free discussion has not originated only from the oppression by AKP-MHP [the ruling Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party]," Demirtaş said in a series of tweets on Friday (October 28).

"The opposition that has faith in the divineness of the military and militarism is just as responsible for Şebnem Korur-Fincancı to become open to a political and judicial lynch operation.

"The only confident step which can be taken is to send an independent team to the region and to bring into the open the matter which you call a slander.

"When you put Professor Şebnem Korur-Fincancı in prison you made the whole world hear the chemical weapons debate. May God give you common sense."

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in mid-October claimed that 17 of its militants were killed as a result of chemical attacks by Türkiye in the Kurdistan region. The Fırat News Agency (ANF) released the videos of two of the militants who had allegedly been exposed to chemical gasses. The videos showed a man having a seizure and a woman showing delirious behavior.

Commenting on the allegations for the Medya Haber TV on October 20, Korur-Fincancı said, "I have examined the videos. Obviously, toxic gasses that directly [affect] the nervous system have been used."

She later criticized the outlet for reporting her comments as the confirmation of the allegations and said an independent investigation should be carried out.

On the same day, prosecutors in Ankara opened an investigation into Korur-Fincancı, who was abroad at the time. After her return to the country, she was detained during a raid on her home in İstanbul and was later remanded in custody.

"Flattering the military"

Demirtaş further said being against violence and "flattering the military" are not the same thing, recalling the military coups and atrocities against the Kurds during the conflict in the 1990s.

"If I say that the army that you don't allow anyone to speak against it has committed the most serious constitutional crime by staging a coup in 1960, in 1971, in 1980 and on February 28 [1997] will you also arrest me?

"What if I say that they have bombed 34 civilians with warplanes in Roboski [2011]?!

"What if I say that they have evacuated more than three thousand Kurdish villages forcibly between 1990-97 according to the official reports by the Turkish parliament?

"Or if I tell you that they cut and made a collection of the ears of the PKK militants?

"What if I tell you that they made Kurdish villagers eat cack; will it be 'terrorist' propaganda?

"Let us all be against arms, against violence, and defend peace but we will not let anyone sell us flattering the military as a democratic attitude.

"If there is going to be any change, start with de-militarizing your mentalities. Not attacking Professor Fincancı." (VK/PE)