KURDS ACCUSE TURKEY’S ERDOGAN OF ‘CONSTITUTIONAL DICTATORSHIP’

15:50 06/04/2015 ” IN THE WORLD

The co-chair of Turkey’s main Kurdish party has accused President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan of wanting to set up “a constitutional dictatorship,”
vowing his movement will strongly oppose moves to impose one-man rule,
AFP reported.

Selahattin Demirtas of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) told
AFP that his party hoped to turn Erdogan’s political calculations
“upside down” in June 7 legislative polls.

Erdogan’s ruling Islamic-rooted party had been relying on Kurdish
support to push through changes to the country’s constitution.

The controversy comes amid indications of delays in the peace process
to end a decades-long insurgency by Kurdish rebels, with Demirtas
saying talks had not been helped by recent comments made by Erdogan.

“Mr President is trying to create a constitutional dictatorship by
collecting all the power for himself,” Demirtas said at his party’s
headquarters in Ankara.

Erdogan, elected head of state last year after more than a decade
as prime minister, wants to rewrite the constitution to create a
executive-style presidency.

Demirtas said that Erdogan was already riding roughshod over the
existing constitution in the run-up to the polls by not severing his
links with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as required
of the president.

“The constitution is currently suspended in Turkey,” he said.

“Turkey will face big challenges if someone who does not recognize
the constitution today brings in one-man rule under the pretext of
presidential system tomorrow.”

Source: Panorama.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress