Erdogan made the remarks in response to a crowd calling for Demirtas’s execution, accusing the presidential candidate of responsibility for the deaths of 53 people during street protests in 2014.

“This man [Demirtas] is under arrest now? Yes, that’s all. Indeed, the judiciary must make its decision as soon as possible,” Erdogan told the crowd during an election rally in Kocaeli on Sunday.

“As I said before, if parliament has had voted to bring back the death penalty, I would have approved it immediately,” Erdogan replied.

Refusing calls for Demirtas’s release to enable a fair presidential election, Erdogan in the eastern province of Adiyaman said on June 1: “Who are you releasing? The person in jail [Demirtas] has the blood of 53 citizens on his hands.”

Reporter’s code: 50101