Democracy cannot function through arms: Turkish Deputy PM
Akdogan: Those who fully believe in democracy have to make every effort to inactivate weapons completely
ANKARA
Politics and democracy cannot function together with arms in hand, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan has said, two days after a PKK terrorist attack in Turkey’s Agri province in which four Turkish troops were wounded.
His comments came on Monday after gendarmerie troops --who were deployed in a village in Diyadin district on Saturday to establish security during a village spring festival following a request from the Agri Governor-- came under attack.
Akdogan, addressing to the Peoples' Democratic Party, or HDP, said: "Those who fully believe in democracy have to make every effort in order to inactivate their weapons completely."
Five terrorists were left dead and another injured in the incident, which came less than two months before general elections in Turkey on June 7.
"We can see that they are terrorizing the election process to pull votes in eastern and southeastern regions," he said.
He criticized the HDP for its "efforts to gain more votes by putting pressure on people on one hand, while trying to create a good image for voters abroad on the other hand".
Attack 'a provocation'
Akdogan said armed groups should leave residential areas and avoid any activity that would harm people's decisions in the upcoming general elections.
Turkish people are due to cast their votes on June 7 to elect 550 new members of the Turkish parliament.
Turkish politicians regard the attack as a provocation launched by PKK terrorists, while Selahattin Demirtas, HDP co-chair, has said the incident was not a spontaneous clash, but a pre-planned and rehearsed fake set-up launched to discredit his party.
The Governor of Agri, Musa Isin, told AA that members of the outlawed PKK terror organization had been acting like vote hunters in the region and putting pressure on the public.
He said: "One of the terrorists, attending a celebration over the birthday of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, had asked people to vote for HDP and told them that peasants and the village headman would be punished otherwise."
The Governor confirmed that the security troops were being kept in the village on Saturday, when the incident happened, to stop any possible efforts of PKK members to exercise control over the locals.
He said: "We will not allow such activities as threatening our people, or racketeering to influence their will.
"We have taken every measure, and continue to do so, in order to ensure the security of life and property."
