AKP's attack on HDP will jeopardize ties with West

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government continues its cross border operations full speed, as the Turkish Air Forces conduct intensified bombardments on the Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) targets in the northern Iraq. The attacks on the PKK camps, headquarters and logistics facilities began last week simultaneously with a separate campaign on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) although the latter seems to be weaker and less efficient in comparison with the former. 

Of course, all countries have the right to take security measures and actively fight against terror organizations in a bid to protect their citizens, as well as the public order. Terror acts do not only target civilians and security officials but also democratic values, freedoms and the peace of a country. Recent terror attacks in the country in the last two weeks claiming scores of lives are of this kind and obviously need to be responded to. An aerial campaign on the PKK facilities as well as internal security raids should be counted in this frame. 

However, the government is not only fighting the PKK but also the Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) and its top leaders, a party that received 13 percent of votes in the last elections. In parallel with the operations, a smear campaign against Selahattin Demirta? and Figen Yüksekda? was kicked off by senior AKP officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu. 

A number of criminal complaints issued by AKP officials poured in right after Erdo?an called for the prosecution of individual leaders of the HDP, while summary of proceedings about nine lawmakers have been submitted to parliament. The AKP brought the fight against the PKK to the political arena and to the parliament...