JINHA

ISTANBUL – After a simultaneous bomb attack on two Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) offices earlier today, women leaders in the HDP say the AKP is in a state of war against their party.

"We're going into an election, not a war," said Filiz Keresticioğlu, HDP candidate in Istanbul. She said that the bombings of HDP offices in Adana and Mersinearlier today were designed to ensure that voters could not go to the polls in an atmosphere of security and calm.

After automotive and metal workers have gone on strike recently, said Filiz, the AKP has been looking for ways to stop the increasing popular resistance against the ruling AKP.The HDP, which declares itself a "party of women," has long defended a 50-50 gender parity policy at all levels of the party. The opposition party has been gaining support with its calls for pro-women policies in Turkey. AKP statements related to women's issues are noteworthy for their condescension and vitriol towards women.

AKP speeches and statements have taken on the same attitude of viciousness towards the HDP, according to women candidates. HDP candidate Ayşe Berktay noted that AKP speeches often accuse the HDP of "trying to start a war," presumably because the HDP supports equal rights policies for all groups in the country. More than 50 HDP offices have been attacked in recent weeks as anti-HDP rhetoric from the ruling party escalates.

"The government has not taken any precautions against the attacks so far; on the contrary, it has encouraged them," said Sebahat Tuncel, an Istanbul MP and the co-speaker of the HDP-affiliated People's Democratic Congress (HDK). "In Turkey, violence and terror is threatening the people and there is no such thing as security around elections anymore."

Sebahat said that as long as the bombing went uninvestigated and unsolved, the state was guilty. She called for officials to immediately find the perpetrators.

(fk/cm)