Demirtas calls on opposition to unite for election security

Imprisoned Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas on Tuesday called on opposition parties to work together to ensure the safety of ballot boxes as Turkey's crucial parliamentary and presidential elections approach and discussions are underway on whether the polls can be held in a safe atmosphere.

"The security of the elections starts today and lasts until the swearing-in ceremony. If some groups can unite to disregard the will of the people, all three opposition alliances should start working together to ensure the security of the elections," Demirtas said, adding that it was up to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to lead this.

On Sunday, SADAT, a controversial private defense company seen by the CHP as an election threat, aired a commercial on Turkish TV100 during the live broadcast of an interview by CHP Chair Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The commercial featured images of armed men.

Kilicdaroglu berated both SADAT and the station's administration after the interview, saying the ad was a threat and provocation.

Many users on social media also criticized the TV station and compared SADAT to the Islamic State.

TV100's editor-in-chief, Alican Deger, later released a statement addressing the social media reactions, saying the advertising department accepted the ads without knowing SADAT's political message or its hidden intrigues.