The leader of pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party Nuri Yaman severely criticized Turkish authorities for actions against Kurds.

Commenting on the publication in Taraf daily on alleged coup plan “Sledgehammer”, Yaman called Turkish Premier’s Justice and Development party the one of coup d’etat, adding that September 12, 1980 coup was staged against Kurds. According to him, Turkish authorities jointly with Constitutional Court dissolved Democratic Society party.

“800 Kurdish leaders have been arrested within last year and the arrests continue. The last was that of Igdir mayor Nuri Gunes. The elected officials are handcuffed and detained in the regions where they failed. Government press secretary Jemil Cicek stated that the mayors in the territories bordering with Armenia are Kurds. They started handcuffing from Igdir. Defense Minister considered democratization initiator became a coordinator of handcuffing. He started to chase up Peace and Democracy party mayors,” Yaman said.

A.G.