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Erdogan Slams Jailed Kurdish Leader, Fueling Skepticism about Reform Pledge

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AP)
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Erdogan Slams Jailed Kurdish Leader, Fueling Skepticism about Reform Pledge

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday a jailed Kurdish leader has "blood on his hands", scotching some hopes that a reform plan could lead to wider liberties for the opposition and dissidents.

Erdogan promised a slate of judicial and economic reforms two weeks ago, leading to expectations of the possible release of politicians, including Kurdish ones, and human rights advocates from jail.

Former deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc, a founder of Erdogan's AK Party in 2001, added to that speculation with a call for the release of Selahattin Demirtas, former leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Erdogan slammed those comments on Wednesday saying: "It offended me that he suggested everyone read the book written by a terrorist," referring to Arinc urging people to read a book by Demirtas to understand Turkey's Kurdish issue.

"There is no Kurdish issue in this country," Erdogan said. Demirtas, he said, defends "terrorism" and has the "blood of thousands of Kurds on his hands".

Arinc resigned on Tuesday from the presidential advisory board.

Demirtas has been in prison for more than four years on charges related to protests against the Turkish army's inaction during a militant attack on the Syrian Kurdish town Kobani.

Erdogan said the AKP would carry out the reforms together with its Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) coalition partner - staunch opponents of the Kurdish political movement. The details of the plans to make judicial processes easier and quicker have yet to be made public.

HDP lawmaker Meral Danis Bestas, a senior figure in the party, dismissed the reform pledges as politicking.

"This reform narrative is not sincere. This is a party which has been in power for 18 years and which has until now totally trampled on the law," she told Reuters.

"It has one aim: to win back the support which has been lost," she said. The next election is not due for three years, but the parties have been dipping in the polls.

The HDP, chaired by Demirtas between 2014 and 2018, has had thousands of its officials and members arrested in recent years. It has generally been accused of links to Kurdish fighters combating an insurgency in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.

Erdogan on Wednesday defended the removal of elected HDP mayors from posts in the southeast. The state has appointed caretaker mayors to 59 out of a total of 65 municipalities that the HDP won in local elections in March 2019.

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A ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ Is Forecast for Fire-Scarred Los Angeles Area

An aerial view of a fire truck near homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire as wildfires cause damage and loss through the LA region on January 13, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
An aerial view of a fire truck near homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire as wildfires cause damage and loss through the LA region on January 13, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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A ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ Is Forecast for Fire-Scarred Los Angeles Area

An aerial view of a fire truck near homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire as wildfires cause damage and loss through the LA region on January 13, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
An aerial view of a fire truck near homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire as wildfires cause damage and loss through the LA region on January 13, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Millions of Southern Californians were on edge as a final round of dangerous fire weather was forecast for the region on Wednesday, along with a rare warning of a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” for an area near where two massive blazes have killed at least 25 and destroyed thousands of homes.

Firefighters got a reprieve Tuesday when winds were unexpectedly light and they were able to make progress battling the two huge Los Angeles area fires and quickly snuff out several new fires.

The Eaton Fire burning just north of Los Angeles and the Palisades Fire that destroyed much of the seaside LA neighborhood of Pacific Palisades broke out Jan. 7 in conditions similar to what’s expected Wednesday. High winds last week pushed flames at remarkable speed and carried fire-sparking embers sometimes miles away.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings – done when temperatures are warm, humidity is low and strong winds are expected – from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. from the Central Coast 275 miles (443 kilometers) south to the border with Mexico. The “Particularly Dangerous Situation” was in effect for an area that includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the weather service said in a post late Tuesday. “The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow.”

More than 77,000 households were without electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes.

A state of alert

Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes.

Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after being seen setting small fires that were immediately extinguished, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. One was using a barbecue lighter, another ignited brush and a third tried to light a trash can, he said. All were far outside the disaster zones. Authorities have not determined a cause for any of the major fires.

Among nine people charged with looting was a group that stole an Emmy award from an evacuated house, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

The biggest worry remained the threat from intense winds. Now backed by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flareups or new blazes. The firefighting force was much bigger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began destroying thousands of homes in what could become the nation's costliest fire disaster.

Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few left standing in Altadena, near Pasadena. They intended to keep watch to ward off looting and to hose down the house and her neighbors’ properties to prevent flareups.

Preparing for another outbreak

Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticized over their initial response expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. The mayor said she was able to fly over the disaster areas, which she described as resembling the aftermath of a “dry hurricane.”

Winds this time were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds seen last week but they could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

He urged homeless people to avoid starting fires for warmth and to seek shelter.

Wildfires on the rise across LA

With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area.

Firefighters have jumped on small blazes that popped up, quickly smothering several in Los Angeles county, including a blaze Tuesday evening in the Angeles National Forest.

The four largest fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Of these, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze, in Pacific Palisades on the coast, was far less contained.

The death toll is likely to rise, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Nearly 30 people were still missing, he said Tuesday. Some people reported as missing earlier have been found.

Just under 90,000 people in the county remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week.

Hollywood on hold Hollywood’s awards season has been put on hiatus because of the crisis. The Oscar nominations have been delayed twice, and some organizations postponed their awards shows and announcements without rescheduling.