İSTANBUL - HDP officials have blamed the government officials' "provocative speech" for the armed attack on the party's office.

 

The People's Democratic Party (HDP) has held a press briefing after an armed attack on its İstanbul office. The party's İstanbul provincial co-chairpeople Elif Bulut and Erdal Avcı, MP Musa Piroğlu and members of the party attended the briefing.

 

Seven shots were fired on the HDP building in yesterday's (January 15) attack. While no one was hurt, the perpetrator was taken into custody.

 

HDP İstanbul Co-Chair Bulut said she saw the perpetrator firing shots at the party's office and people could have died in the attack. The attacker came to the office two days ago and "made some baseless talks," she noted.

 

"The provocative speech directed at the HDP by many government officials, from the President to the Interior Minister, has the main responsibility of this incident," Bulut further said.

 

'THE ATTACK WAS PLANNED'

 

Erdal Avcı said the attack was "planned" and carried a "message" to the HDP. The government's language that targets the HDP made such attacks "attractive," he added.

 

"These attacks, while not having a contribution to Turkey's democracy and peace, draw Turkey to a ground of war and conflict.

 

"We will file a criminal complaint against this attacker. We also have footage of him. We want the trial of the person, whom we think is under custody, start immediately and we want him remanded.

 

"We recommend the authorities to refrain from encouraging behavior for such attacks."

 

MP Piroğlu also spoke at the briefing, saying that no one will be free in Turkey unless the "Kurdish problem is not solved in a fair and democratic way."

 

"We saw similar attacks in the past. Those who carried out this attack should know that we have neither kneeled until now nor we will kneel from now on."