Turkish far-right group will only take to streets ‘if security forces fail to combat terror’

ISTANBUL

DHA Photo

The far-right “Idealist Hearths” (Ülkü Ocakları), which has close links with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), vowed in a statement that it will remain within the law and will not take an active role in fight against terror - unless the security forces fail to accomplish their duties.

Stating that there were many calls from mostly fake social media accounts calling for members of the Idealist Hearths to take to the streets to preserve security at a time when violence has risen and many security forces have been killed, Olcay Kılavuz, the head of the group, said they were “determined to stay within the law.” 

Kılavuz stressed that preserving safety was the duty of the security forces, but they would act if the situation came to a point where this could not be implemented. 

“The Idealist Hearths are determined to continue their thoughts and acts through legal means, considering that the Turkish Republic is a state of law. It is the main duty of the security forces to combat terrorism. We would only take on responsibility for this if the duty cannot be fulfilled [by the security forces],” read the written statement signed by Kılavuz. 

The statement also criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan without openly mentioning his name, describing him as the “worst disaster to ever hit Turkey” and saying he was making political calculations for his own benefit. 

Kılavuz also slammed all those who sat at the negotiations table to find a solution to Turkey’s long-lasting Kurdish problem, asking if they were proud about the fact that more than 50 security forces have been killed in the past month in clashes with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).