Turkish president slams PKK for exploiting women

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) for exploiting women for the perverted ideology of the PKK terrorist group.

Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) women's branch, Erdogan criticized the HDP for covertly supporting the terrorist group, after two female terrorists attacked a police hotel in Mersin province on September 26, Daily Sabah reports.

"Two female PKK terrorists died while trying to attack our police officers in Mersin province... What type of brainwashing have they done to these two women to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their superstitious cause?" Erdogan said.

Without directly mentioning the HDP's name, the president said the party exploits women for the PKK.

The HDP has been accused of close ideological and political links with the PKK terrorist group, which was founded in 1978 and has been conducting terrorist attacks against the state since 1984. As a result of PKK terrorism, nearly 40,000 people have been killed in more than three decades. Currently, the HDP's former co-chair Selahattin Demirtas is held in prison for terrorism-related charges.