Türk, addressing his party's parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, said his party's main purpose was to ensure the existence of an environment in which all of Turkey's peoples embrace one another with love.

He also said Turkey's flag is "a common value of us all" and noted: "We created this flag with our common values. We do not have a problem with this flag. We have always emphasized solutions that have Turkey's integrity at the center. Our purpose is to ensure the existence of an environment in which all peoples embrace one another with love. Turkey is a state, a republic where various cultures live together in a mosaic," he said, adding that Turkey's diversity was a characteristic of the country which should be celebrated.

"We are making efforts to ensure that this mentality working for the continuation of this diversity remains dominant," he said and criticized Prime Minister Erdoğan, who said on Monday that his government's motto was "one flag, one country, one nation," found inflammatory by the country's Kurds, as the word "one nation" is usually used in Turkey to refer to Turks only.

"Instead of the mentality of one nation, a mentality that considers differences as richness is necessary. This is a necessity of pluralism and democracy. This is how we should see it," he said. Türk then called on President Abdullah Gül to step in and pave the way for constructive dialogue.

He further criticized Prime Minister Erdoğan for defending an İstanbul resident who fired a pump rifle on pro-Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) demonstrators over the weekend, saying his situation resembled a cleric who issues a "license to kill." He said, "The prime minister says they have run out of patience, he says our death is necessary." Türk further stressed that these were attempts to turn the DTP into a party to be lynched. "We will continue our efforts to develop a peaceful and democratic process without being affected by the recent developments," Türk said.

Some press members walked out of yesterday's parliamentary DTP meeting, in protest of attacks by PKK and DTP supporters on press vehicles following the prime minister's visit to Hakkari on Sunday.

DTP İstanbul leaders arrested over demonstration

Fifty-nine out of 61 detained last Sunday in protests against the alleged maltreatment of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in prison were released yesterday pending trial. Five others, including DTP İstanbul branch chairman Halil Aksoy and DTP Fatih district branch President Mehdi Tanrıkulu were arrested by the court they were remanded to yesterday.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal also criticized the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) yesterday. Baykal accused the prime minister of having tolerated terrorism during the time his party has been in power. "Your duty is to render ineffective those who commit crimes. You cannot tell people to just leave when you fail to do your own job," he said, referring to Prime Minister Erdoğan's angry words on Sunday when he told PKK supporters to just "pick up and leave" Turkey if they are against living under "one flag."

He also criticized the prime minister for defending an İstanbul resident's pump rifle attack on demonstrators. "Should the people defend themselves? What are you there for? What is your job? This is impossible to understand."


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Journalists protest DTP for violent attacks
Reporters at the Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday left the meeting room immediately after DTP leader Ahmet Türk started speaking as sign of protest against violent attacks against members of the press by DTP supporters in Hakkari last Sunday.

As Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in the province, DTP supporters protested violently, clashing with police, throwing stones and burning four vehicles. The protestors also attacked press vehicles and stoned buses belonging to Kanal A, the Cihan news agency, NTV and the Zaman newspaper. On their way out, the victims warned vehicles belonging to the Doğan news agency and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) station that were driving into town. Members of the press were stranded close to seven kilometers outside the city throughout much of the day.

Following the reporters, cameramen and photojournalists also left the DTP meeting. Only the cameraman for Parliament’s television station, TBMM TV, remained in the meeting room. Türk condemned the attacks against members of the press, saying his party supports freedom of the press.

In the meantime, the G-9 Journalists Platform released a written statement yesterday condemning the attacks against journalists in Hakkari.

“Members of the press were prevented from performing their jobs as a result of attacks and the use of violent force. Such attacks, which violate the public’s right to access information, can never be approved. We protest all those who attacked the members of the press and their vehicles in Hakkari,” read the platform’s statement.

Today’s Zaman