Erdogan’s remarks came as one of his longstanding allies, Bulent Arinc, on Tuesday resigned from his post at the presidential advisory council due to disagreement over the release of two political prisoners, including Demirtas.
Arinc’s position caused particular anger with Erdogan's ally Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the ultranationalist MHP party.
“There is no Kurdish question in this country,” Erdogan said, during an address to his parliamentary group. "As I said before, if there was one, we already have resolved it. We cannot ignore the fact that the biggest enemy of our Kurdish brethren is the separatist terror group with its armed and political representatives.”
In an apparent shot at Arinc, Erdogan said that he was astonished by calls for the release of Demirtas, who led the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) from prison, Ahval reported.
“That person, who wears the mask of a politician, is a defender of a separatist terror group whose hands are covered by the blood of thousands of Kurds,” Erdogan said.
The Turkish president, in the same speech, called on the judiciary to act against those who made calls regarding the fate of Demirtas and imprisoned philanthropist Osman Kavala.
“They are violating the constitution’s article 138, which bans citizens from issuing orders to the courts,” he claimed. "I had to make this statement because the judiciary is ignoring them.”
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