Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chair Pervin Buldan has claimed Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu threatened her, telling her that HDP officials no longer have the right to live in Turkey and that that they should leave the country, T24 reported on Wednesday.
“We will teach your place. You have no right to live in this country, you can go wherever you want,” Soylu allegedly said.
Buldan held a press conference at HDP headquarters in Ankara, stating that Soylu had called her after the murder of a shopkeeper in Ağrı province.
According to Buldan, Soylu accused HDP officials of committing the murder.
Turkish media reported on Tuesday that Mevlüt Bengi, a shopkeeper in the village of Yanyurt, was killed by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.
While the pro-government media reported that Bengi had been killed because he had cast his ballot for the Justice and Development Party (AKP), according to the pro-Kurdish media the motive behind the murder was Bengi’s job as a police informant.
“This murder should be investigated immediately. Those responsible should be punished,” Buldan said.
“Even the CHP [Republican People’s Party] will not save you,” Interior Minister Soylu allegedly told Buldan on the phone.
In Sunday’s elections, HDP surpassed the 10 percent election threshold, which according to some analysts, was only possible because some CHP supporters’ voted for the HDP.
“Everyone should know his place. Soylu, should know his place,” Buldan said during the press meeting.