HDP co-chair mocks Erdo?an's nationwide inaugurations

Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirta? celebrated opening a soda can during his meeting with Turkish humorists and cartoonists in Istanbul, teasing President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an?s successive inauguration meetings on the run up to the June 7 elections. 

Demirta?, accompanied by his wife Ba?ak Demirta?, attended a meeting entitled ?Selo?s [a nickname for Demirta?] rendezvous with humorists? on May 29, in Istanbul?s Beyo?lu district. 

Making an innuendo about Erdo?an?s Turkey-wide inaugurations, which have grown more common over the campaign period, Demirta? inaugurated two soda cans branded ?opening? and ?grand opening.? 

?I shouldn?t name the party which my heart desires, to avoid damaging my impartiality, but, as the HDP, we have served the nation immensely. It is our right to inaugurate,? Demirta? said.

His comment was referring to Erdo?an?s statements in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri on May 17, where Erdo?an used similar sentences to refuse being impartial in an electoral race when the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was also running. 

Demirta? responded with a joke when asked about Erdo?an defining him as a ?popstar? after Demirta? played a regional musical instrument on national television. 

?Here is our slogan: I admit to playing, can you??  Demirta? asked, making a pun benefiting from the fact that in Turkish the words ?play? and ?steal? are the same. 

Demirta? also commented on Turkish daily Cumhuriyet newspaper?s May 29 scoop, where photographs, allegedly showing weapons on the National Intelligence Organization?s (M?T) Syria-bound trucks which were stopped by a prosecutor in January 2014, were published. 

?If Turkey wants to provide military...