ANKARA
The co-leader of Turkey’s main Kurdish party has ruled out his members’ involvement in the fatal shooting of rival party activist on Sunday.
Peoples' Democratic Party chief Selahattin Demirtas denied HDP involvement in the murder of a Huda-Par member in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir.
Aytac Baran was shot dead and three other people were killed in clashes following the murder.
"A foundation chairman, known to be affiliated to Huda-Par, was assassinated and – following the incident – two HDP members were killed by those who were said to be [Kurdish] Hezbollah militants; the other member was executed inside his home," Demirtas told reporters in Ankara on Wednesday.
Demirtas said official investigation into the deaths should reveal the "connections" behind these incidents.
The HDP figure said no-one could pin blame on his party "without revealing and explaining these connections", referring to headlines written by what he described as “pro-government” media.
"We are not the enemy of anyone and are not an armed organization; we are a political party of Turkey that makes democratic policy," said Demirtas, calling on everyone to act with "common sense and patience" for the future of the country.
Demirtas also spoke about the spate of attacks on his party during Turkey’s general election campaign; the HDP co-chair said his party had been attacked a total of 140 times.
"Are all of them [attacks] unrelated from one another? All of them targeted the HDP. Of course, all are nearly managed from one center," he said, adding his party became a target across the country and there were circles which had used "accusatory” language against his group.
"We did not enter a war but an election; people made a choice which should be respected," Demirtas added.
