PM Davutoğlu accused academics who issued statement criticizing government's anti-terror operations in southeast, of pro-PKK propaganda
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Wednesday criticized academics who published a statement accusing the government of carrying out a massacre in the country's southeast.
While speaking at a Research and Development meeting in TUBİTAK, Davutoğlu asked the academics who criticized government anti-terror operations and indirectly supported the PKK terrorism whether they supported killings of babies and civilians by terrorists.
Davutoğlu, who is an academic in professional life, said he read the statement carefully and found it one-sided and provocative.
He criticized the academics for using provocative language, adding the statement could not be considered freedom of thought.
On Monday, a group of 1,100 figures dubbing themselves the Group of Academics for Peace issued a manifesto on the military's operation against PKK terrorists, accusing the state of violating human rights and “causing a massacre."
Davutoğlu criticized the group of “academics" for not including a word about the PKK terrorism that has been killing civilians, including women and children, as well as security officials in the area.
The academics were also harshly criticized by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and thousands of other academics across the country.
Meanwhile, Davutoğlu condemned the PKK's attacks last night that killed 5 civilians, including 3 children and a security official, in southeastern province of Diyarbakır.
He again asked the academics whether they support killing of babies and civilians.
He vowed to continue Turkey's anti-terror operations adding, “Turkey is against all kind of terrorism."
