Erdoğan: The state is responsible for the Gare operation

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In two separate speeches yesterday (February 17), President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made remarks on the killing of hostages during a military rescue operation in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Earlier, he spoke at his party's provincial congress in the capital, Ankara, criticizing the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who had said the president was responsible for the killings.

"Mr. Kemal, about the 13 martyrs, you shamelessly say, 'The president is responsible for this.' How shameless a person you are?" he said. "How can you say 'The president is responsible for this' to us, who have been following these martyrs for five, six years. Impudent man...

"I sent my minister of national defense, my minister of interior to inform you. You don't deserve this. You are shamelessly trying to hold the president accountable."

CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel held a 23-second press conference at the parliament to respond to the president, saying that "We return Mr. President all of his insults and swears."

The president later held a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

"Who is responsible for the operation that was carried out in Gare against the PKK terrorist organization is the state of the Republic of Turkey, from its president to the ministers of national defense and interior, from its soldiers to police and intelligence officers," he remarked there.

Thirteen military and police officers who were kidnapped by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in 2015 and 2016 had been held in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.

After obtaining intelligence about the location of the captives, the army launched an operation to rescue them on February 10. All captives and three officers who participated in the operation lost their lives, the minister of defense announced on Sunday (February 14).

Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said on the same day that the PKK "executed civilians."

After the Governor's Office of Malatya announced the identities of 12 of the 13 people, it was revealed that they were police officers and soldiers. (EKN/VK)