HDP says government's silence shows who bugged its office

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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has criticized the government for remaining silent about the bugging devices found in the party's İstanbul office.

"This is acceptance, acknowledgment. This means 'We have eavesdropped them'. If it doesn't, then they should respond to our statements," the party's deputy parliamentary group chair, Meral Danış-Beştaş, told a press conference at the parliament yesterday (December 9).

The HDP announced on Tuesday that bugging devices were found in several rooms of its İstanbul Provincial Organization building.

Saying that installing such devices in sockets and lamps would require serious technical effort, the party asked the government who was behind that.

The HDP also noted in a statement that its offices had been regularly raided by the police without accompanying party members.

"It's not new that they eavesdrop on us. We know that they have eavesdropped on our party buildings," said Danış-Beştaş.

"If you wonder what we say, then why do you want to silence us? On the other hand, they impose an embargo on the press," she further remarked.

"We expect an explanation from the spokespeople of the government, especially from the minister of interior on why they did this eavesdropping.

"They should announce an investigation against those who are responsible for that or explain why they haven't launched an investigation."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his government have accused the HDP of being "the political branch of the terrorist organization."

Most of the HDP mayors in the Kurdish-majority provinces have been replaced with government-appointed "trustees" on the ground of "terrorism-related" investigations against them.

Dozens of politicians from the party, including its former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, are currently in prison. (DŞ/VK)