Turkey's Erdogan accuses pro-Kurdish leader of treachery over comments supporting self-rule
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the leader of the pro-Kurdish opposition party of "provocation and treachery" for comments supporting self-rule for Kurds in Turkey's southeast.
Erdogan was speaking to reporters Tuesday, a day after prosecutors in Ankara launched a probe into Peoples' Democratic Party leader Selahattin Demirtas. He voiced support on Sunday for a declaration calling for autonomy, issued at the end of a two-day congress by Kurdish groups.
Separate investigations were also launched into Demirtas and other Kurdish politicians in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir for backing the declaration.
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The legal moves come amid heightened tensions over violence between the security forces and Kurdish militants in three urban districts.
Erdogan said Demirtas and others would be "taught a lesson" by the people and the law.