Sevim Dağdelen, a deputy of Turkish origin in the German parliament, on Friday denied an allegation made by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that she supports a terrorist organization.
Issuing a written statement to Deutsche Welle, the deputy, who is also the chairperson of the Turkish-German Friendship Group in the parliament, called Erdoğan’s accusation “nonsense,” adding that Erdoğan accuses his political opponents of supporting terrorism in an effort to discredit them.
On Thursday Erdoğan targeted Dağdelen without mentioning her by name in reference to a meeting with Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in Berlin. Erdoğan said the CHP chairman had met with people who harbor animosity against Turkey and are known for their interest in terrorist organizations that attack the country.
Erdoğan accused Dağdelen of trying to remove the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from Germany’s list of terrorist organizations. “This person is a fanatical terrorist organization supporter and goes so far as to wave the flag of the People’s Protection Units [YPG], the Syrian wing of the PKK,” Erdoğan claimed.
In response Dağdelen said the Turkish president himself had conducted high-level negotiations with the PKK up until a few years ago.
In addition, she called Erdoğan’s attack on Kılıçdaroğlu part of a campaign of hatred.