Demirtas: "Earthquake is a catastrophe, not 'God's blessing' for transition to dictatorship"

Demirtas: "Earthquake is a catastrophe, not 'God's blessing' for transition to dictatorship"
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Selahattin Demirtas has warned against a possible fait accompli upon reports that Turkish president has started searching for ways to postpone the elections.

Imprisoned Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas reacted to reported efforts to postpone elections after the earthquake on 6 February.

He said:

"According to some information I received, a group of legal experts have been instructed to sort out a legal grounds to postpone the elections while everybody is focused on the catastrophe. They are apparently preparing once again to defy the Constitution through a fait accompli."

He continued:

"The elections may be postponed only on a resolution by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, or upon an official declaration of warfare. There may be no other exception. Disregarding the parliament and issuing a decision to postpone the elections will signify an apparent political coup."

He added:

"In case the elections are once postponed in violation of the constitution, this will be the beginning of a new phase and nobody will have enough power anymore to force the Supreme Election Council into calling for elections again."

Refering to a remark by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan who had said after the military coup attempt on 15 July 2016 that the attempt was "God's blessing, because it will enable a purge in our armed forces," Demirtas said:

"The earthquake is a catastrophe, not 'God's blessing' for a transition to dictatorship. The people will not allow it. Full stop."