Kurdish party accuse Turkey's Erdogan of 'constitutional dictatorship'.

Kurdish party accuse Turkey's Erdogan of 'constitutional dictatorship'.(DS).

ANKARA: The co-chair of Turkey's main Kurdish party has accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of wanting to set up "a constitutional dictatorship," vowing his movement will strongly oppose moves to impose one-man rule.

Selahattin Demirtas of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) told AFP that his party hoped to turn Erdogan's political calculations "upside down" in June 7 legislative polls.

Erdogan's ruling Islamic-rooted party had been relying on Kurdish support to push through changes to the country's constitution.

The controversy comes amid indications of delays in the peace process to end a decades-long insurgency by Kurdish rebels, with Demirtas saying talks had not been helped by recent comments made by Erdogan.

"Mr President is trying to create a constitutional dictatorship by collecting all the power for himself," Demirtas said at his party's headquarters in Ankara.

Erdogan, elected head of state last year after more than a decade as prime minister, wants to rewrite the constitution to create a executive-style presidency.

Demirtas said that Erdogan was already riding roughshod over the existing constitution in the run-up to the polls by not severing his links with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as required of the president.

"The constitution is currently suspended in Turkey," he said.

"Turkey will face big challenges if someone who does not recognize the constitution today brings in one-man rule under the pretext of presidential system tomorrow."

Demirtas said he also hopes his party will win support from non-Kurdish voters who back his liberal, secular and pro-women policies and who are tired of Erdogan's "polarization" of the country. Hmmm......Erdogan doesn't care about the Kurds, he only wants their votes so he can become absolute ruler of 'Islamist Turkey'.Read the full story here.