President Erdoğan ‘strongly’ condemns attack against HDP headquarters

“Treacherous attacks against a peaceful and stable environment in our country and our democracy will never achieve their goals,” said Erdoğan in a brief written message, quoted by the state-run Anadolu Agency. The president said it was a source of comfort for the nation that there were no casualties.

The attack came just a week after a controversial April 11 clash between security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the eastern province of Ağrı. 

The attack on the HDP headquarters in Ankara on April 18 added insult to injury, further straining ties between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and opposition parties, particularly the HDP, which focuses on the Kurdish issue and has been among the elements conducting a peace process with the government. Both the HDP and the AKP have described the acts as “provocations” ahead of the June 7 election. 

Although they echoed each other’s view, the AKP and the HDP have mutually blamed each other for purposefully increasing the tension between the two parties.