Agence France-Presse quotes Rafik Hariri Center Nonresident Fellow Aaron Stein on how the deadly bombing in Ankara has raised tensions in advance of the upcoming elections in Turkey in November:
Aaron Stein, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, said there is “deeply-felt” belief within the HDP’s base that the AKP had supported the IS group in order to oppose Kurds fighting in Syria.
“Demirtas has made repeated accusations which lead many to conclude that an Islamic State-style attack in Turkey must have some links to the AKP,” he said.
“This is certainly not true, but it explains the anger,” he added.
[…]
Stein said Demirtas was a “charismatic politician capable of expanding his party’s political base”.
But he cautioned that because of the party’s perceived dependence on the PKK, the size of his disapproval ratings inside Turkey were still “astronomical in political terms”.