Prosecutors investigate HDP MP’s intel on assassination plot in Europe

ANKARA

Turkish and German officials are investigating Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul lawmaker Garo Paylan’s claims over assassination plots targeting Turkish citizens living in Europe, especially Germany.

Speaking at a press meeting in parliament on Dec. 20, the HDP deputy stated that he received a tip-off concerning plans to assassinate Turkish citizens in Europe, including academics, journalists, politicians and opinion leaders from the opposition ranks. Paylan said he had shared the intelligence with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Following Paylan’s remarks, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that it had launched an investigation into the claims, calling on the HDP deputy to testify as a witness on the issue.

German authorities have also stated that law enforcement agents are aware of “the danger situation,” state-run broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported on Dec. 22.

The officers are conducting an investigation with “the utmost sensitivity” but have ruled out providing any details or protection measures regarding Paylan’s intelligence, according to Deutsche Welle’s report.

“I received intelligence last week over plans to assassinate several Turkish citizens living in Europe, especially in Germany. I have verified the information from multiple sources,” Paylan said at the press conference, signaling a “Turkey-based group” that could mobilize certain assassins for the plot.
He added that the plotters have a list of assassination targets in their hands.
The lawmaker told Deutsche Welle that his allegations were based on “intelligence received from abroad” but could not disclose his sources to confirm the information.

Some Alevi followers were among those identified as targets in the assassination plans.

Yılmaz Kahraman, an official from the Federation of Alevi Associations in Germany, told the German broadcaster that they had received reports through different channels of assassination plans targeting their community in Germany and Europe. The first of these reports were received last year.

Kahraman said they had informed the German interior ministry about the tipoff and that the necessary investigations had been launched.

He also said certain far-right Turkish groups had been targeting the Alevi community but would not name which ones.