ANKARA
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has denied claims that the Justice and Development (AK) Party directed attacks on rival political parties.
He spoke out after the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said more than 100 of its offices across Turkey had been attacked by nationalist mobs.
Media outlets, particularly the Hurriyet newspaper, were also targeted as protests against PKK terrorism descended into violence.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Kurtulmus said: “We condemn and reject these attacks against media. We can never tolerate these attacks.”
He added: “It is an out-and-out lie that the AK Party and government directed the attacks against HDP buildings.”
Kurtulmus said the AK Party, which is preparing for a Nov. 1 general election, was taking the “utmost care” to calm the situation.
“Our security forces also try hard to prevent attacks against HDP buildings,” he said.
Fellow Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan also denounced the attacks.
“It is wrong to attack party buildings,” he said, speaking at Anadolu Agency's Editor's Desk Wednesday. “Actual and physical attacks are vandalism, unlawfulness.”
Akdogan said Turkey was determined to fight terrorism.
Referring to the PKK, he said: “As long as the organization does not lay down arms, we will not take a step back from the operations.”
Turkey has responded to PKK attacks by launching airstrikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq and the army has sent ground troops across the border.
“Those operations are not a cause but a result,” Akdogan said.
Across Turkey, two nights of protests followed Sunday's PKK attack in Hakkari, southeast Turkey, that saw 16 soldiers martyred in the deadliest incident since the PKK renewed its armed campaign at the end of July.
The Hurriyet’s Istanbul office was pelted with stones on two nights after it was accused of distorting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's comments.
The HDP also reported attacks on Kurds and Kurdish businesses.
