Demirtaş: Erdoğan knew about the coup before it happened

Spots from our Co-Chair Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş’s parliamentary speech on October 4, 2016:

- On the closure of the TV and radio channels

Take a look at pro-government media. No ethics. No principles. Nothing. They hire journalists who uses insulting words. On the other hand, they are shutting down some media outlets. Why? Because they did not sell out their principles. If they had, they would be visited by ministers, not a police force. Zarok TV (a kids channel) for instance. 

Erdoğan and his government claim they have overcome denial and assimilation. Their lies have surpassed them. In your (AKP) term, assimilation has increased more than in previous years.  They are accusing (!) us, of not being unable to do this speech in our native tongue. If you shut down a Kids Channel, arrest those singing in Kurdish, assimilation occurs just like this. AKP practiced the most insidious assimilation. Those in the past used violence, but they (meaning AKP) are using a more refined method. 

The parliament opened, and the first thing AKP did is to pass the military mandate. On the second day, the Council of Ministers extended the state of emergency. No matter how many votes you receive, that doesn’t give you to right to torture people.

- Erdoğan knew about the coup before it happened. 

“I heard it from my brother-in-law.” He says.  Lie! He knew about it before you, me, MIT (Turkish Intelligence Service).  You knew about the coup, took your precautions, and just to consolidate your power you let all those people die.

We are facing one of the biggest setups in the history of Turkey. It’s well-known that you have the names of the coup-plotters. Everyone is talking about the truth in these halls (meaning the parliament), why doesn’t anyone dare to speak to the microphones? Will the truth be left in these halls? 

Who are the ministers involved in the coup? You knew about it, why did you let those people die? Why didn’t you arrest the coup-plotters before the attempt? Because it served your purposes.  You thought you’d claim people’s resistance and rule the country with decree-laws. As we are the only party exposing these facts, they have cast aside everything, and attack us. 

We stood by neither the coup, nor the dictatorship. Yes, there is a coup, it’s not staged, but the precautions taken against it, are staged. Opposition parties are acting in accordance with this stage. That is why, they are at the palace, we are not. We are the ones spoiling the stage.

Who are the coup-plotters among AKP? Come on, explain it name by name.  If the coup attempt is treason, how many traitors do you embody, dear AKP, dear President? Where is the political actors of the coup? Is there not even one single politician among the coup-plotters? Anyone, not even a sample? Nope (!)

32 thousand people are under arrest now. They want to join 32 thousand people in one case.  This only means there won’t be a single guilty person. Could there be a file/case with 32 thousand defendants?  They say they’ll establish special courts. Could the truth be revealed in that mess? No. That’s exactly what they want. 

- Streets are open to you, but not to us! 

They say Demirtaş called people on the streets. I call upon them again: It is rightful to resist cruelty! Is it legitimate for you, but illegitimate for us? Is it legitimate for those taking the streets on July 15, but illegitimate for those whose MPs are threatened? Erdoğan is trying to surpass our people by accusing me.  Don’t believe him. We’ll keep resisting in and out of the parliament. 

4 October 2016