Detainee Demirtas warns against Erdogan

istanbul - The pro-Kurdish presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtas, who has been in custody for more than a year and a half, has warned from the prison for the supremacy his rival Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in mind. Demirtas turned Sunday to the Turkish people during the ten minutes that were legally permitted. His election speech was broadcast by the state channel TRT.

If Erdogan and his conservative-Islamic AK party get a majority at the ballot box on 24 June, then the fate of the Turks will be 'completely dependent on the mercy of one person', Demirtas told the electorate. Turkey will turn into an 'authoritarian and tyrannical country that has been torn apart from democracy. 'His party HDP is right for democracy.

The Turks are going to the polls next week to choose a new president and a new parliament. Demirtas has so far only been able to campaign indirectly. He gave interviews through his lawyer and had employees spread Twitter messages.

The former HDP leader has been trapped in Edirne since 2016, not far from the Greek and Bulgarian border. He is accused of, among other things, membership of the banned Kurdish workers' party PKK. Demirtas maintains that all accusations do not make sense. The judge extends his pre-trial detention under political pressure. 'The only reason I am still here is that the AKP is afraid of me. '

Invalid email address. Please fill in again.

Unsubscribe with 1 click