Lawyer Veysel Kırıcı filed a criminal complaint against Erdogan on Tuesday, accusing him of violating Article 302 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) on undermining the unity and integrity of the state, according to a report in the Sözcü daily on Monday. "Requesting 400 deputies for a political party on the eve of a [terrorist] attack that caused the death of dozens of soldiers constitutes an act of undermining the unity of the state. The suspect made threatening statements, indicating that terrorism [in the country] would continue if the AK Party does not win 400 deputies [in the Nov. 1 election]... All these reasons necessitate demanding that the suspect, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, be punished for undermining the unity of the state and violating the Constitution," Kırıcı said. Speaking on a program on a pro-government TV channel on Sunday, Erdogan said the current situation in Turkey would have been different had one party secured 400 deputies and drafted a new constitution, in comments on the recent increase in violence in the country. Erdoğan's comments came following a clash that began at around 3 p.m. in Daglıca, Hakkari province, on Sunday during which 16 soldiers were killed, according to Reuters. Several media outlets and the opposition parties interpreted Erdoğan's statements as linked to the Daglıca attack, lashing out at him for repeating his call for the people to elect 400 deputies from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The pro-government media outlets, however, accused those who linked Erdogan's statements with Daglıca of distorting his remarks. "How can you explain the damage caused by them [the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)], who entered Parliament with 80 more deputies than they did when they were weaker in Parliament? You know we witnessed the Oct. 6-7-8 incidents [in 2014, sparked by the Kobani protests]. We witnessed the Suruç and Diyarbakır [terrorist] incidents. There is no need to seek the culprit elsewhere. These are all a result of the terrorist menace put on the stage in our country. They are generating interests from terrorism. This is what they do. Had a political party been able to secure 400 deputies to make a new constitution, the situation would have been very different today," Erdogan said. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli also lashed out at Erdogan's statements, accusing him of trying to make political gains from terrorism. "At a time when the sons of this country are martyred in Daglıca, the statements of the person who serves as president saying that these [incidents] would not have occurred if there were 400 deputies [elected from one party] have caused great sorrow to the Turkish people. This act of irresponsibility and trophy hunting is a source of disgrace for Erdogan," Bahçeli said. The MHP leader further accused Erdogan of trying to maintain his hold on power and make political gains over the deaths of soldiers. Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıcdaroglu called Erdogan's remarks disgraceful, accusing him of engaging in political calculations at a time when the deaths of soldiers has become a daily occurrence. "You turned the country into a lake of blood, left mothers without children and children without parents [for the sake of remaining in power]. You don't have the least bit of a conscience," Kılıçdaroğlu wrote on his Twitter account on Monday. Clashes between Turkish security forces and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has bases in the mountains of nearby northern Iraq, have become a daily occurrence since a two-year-old cease-fire fell apart in late July, leaving peace negotiations in tatters. Some 70 members of Turkey's security forces have been killed since the terrorist PKK attacks began in late July
