(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Recent terrorist attacks in Turkey have targeted the Turkish democracy and the approaching elections, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday.
The prime minister was referring to Saturday's terrorist attack in Agri and the raiding of Istanbul courthouse where a Turkish prosecutor was held hostage and killed on March 31.
"While we are planning Turkey's future, terrorist opened fire on our soldiers in Agri. With these attacks the target is not just our prosecutor or our soldiers but also the future of the country and yours," Davutoglu said at a party meeting in Istanbul.
"Above all, with these attacks, the Turkish democracy and ballot box were targeted," he added.
Davutoglu also blamed Peoples' Democratic Party, or HDP, leader Selahattin Demirtas for remaining silent against terrorism.
"If you are part of a trap, AK Party will destroy all traps," the prime minister said.
On Saturday, a group of terrorists opened fire with rifles on soldiers in Diyadin district in the eastern province of Agri, where five terrorists were killed and another wounded in daylong clashes with security forces.
Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz, 46, was taken hostage by an outlawed Marxist-Leninist group on March 31 at Istanbul Caglayan Courthouse and was shot by his captors after hours of negotiations between Turkish police forces and the two hostage-takers. He died of his wounds at the hospital.
Davutoglu also said that the Turkish General Staff respects the ruling AK Party today and those who would rule through national will tomorrow.
Davutoglu's remarks came after HDP's Demirtas accused Saturday the Turkish General Staff of working for the AK Party, after the attack on Turkish soldiers in Turkey's east.
"The army is the country's army not one party's," Demirtas said on Saturday.
The attack on the Turkish Armed Forces comes less than two months before the planned general elections in Turkey.
Turkish citizens are due to cast their votes on June 7 and elect the 550 members of the Turkish parliament.
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