Reacting strongly to Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc’s words “They meet for drinking tea”, BDP Group Chairman Selahattin Demirtas said; “If the DTK is a tea party, why are prosecutors conducting so many investigations?”.

Selahattin Demirtas visited the people living on the Berçelan Plateau in Hakkari. Answering journalists' questions after talks with women, Demirtaþ reacted to Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arinc with harsh words.

Demirtaþ said; "In fact, they know the seriousness of the task that the DTK is currently carrying out but they are trying to despise the work by distorting the event and reflecting it in a different way to the public opinion. The DTK is a civilian council, a people's assembly. Its delegates were elected by the people. It consists of representatives of non-governmental organizations and opinion leaders.It is a congress which monitors and discusses major political developments and makes political decisions. If the DTK is a tea party, why are prosecutors conducting so many investigations about it? Why is the current preparation for an operation against DTK?

The sarcastic statement of a minister and a government spokesman about a civilian council is a sign that the conception of democracy hasn’t developed in any way by the government. He (referring to Arýnç) does not believe in democracy. Disdaining people’s organizations is equal to disdaining the people themselves. I suggest that Arýnç should read about the Damad Ferid Pasha who was mocking at the congresses convened by Turks and Kurds in Erzurum and Sivas.”

Democratic Society Congress Co-Chair Aysel Tugluk, reacting to Arýnç’s words before attending the DTK Permanent Assembly on Sunday, said; “With the decisions we will make, Mr Arinc will understand that we are not drinking tea.”

The BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) parliamentary group will be meeting tomorrow in Diyarbakir.