Turkey: IYI Party elects new deputy group head

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s opposition Good (IYI) Party on Monday elected a new deputy parliamentary group chairman after his predecessor made remarks that drew condemnation.

Erhan Usta, representing the Black Sea province of Samsun, will be the party's new deputy group chair, replacing Lutfu Turkkan, a lawmaker from the northwestern Kocaeli province.

In remarks lambasted by the government as well as IYI Party leaders, Turkkan on Sunday resigned his post after insulting a man whose brother was killed by the terror group PKK.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.