“It’s only the PKK and the CHP that want this party (HDP) in parliament,” Erdogan said at a rally in the southeastern province of Adıyaman on June 1.

Erdogan’s comment came after CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu stressed the importance of the presence of the HDP in parliament in an interview last week.

“This party [HDP] has failed to be a real political party as it could not rescue itself from being under the control of the bloody-handed organization,” Erdogan said.

According to Hurriyet daily Erdogan accused the elected HDP mayors of southeastern provinces, who were later ousted and replaced by state-appointed mayors, of serving the “interests of terrorists” instead of locals, adding that a party like this had no place in parliament.

Erdogan also slammed CHP’s presidential candidate Muharrem Ince who called for the release of Demirtas, HDP’s presidential nominee, from prison. “You [Ince] went to Edirne to visit this person. Wasn’t it this man who was responsible of the killing of 53 people in an attack that occurred after the June 7 [2015] elections in Diyarbakir [southeastern province]? Who are you serving for?” he said.

Demirtas has been imprisoned over terror charges since late 2016 but is yet to be convicted. HDP officials had appealed for his release so that he can campaign freely.

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