ISTANBUL, 20 February, 2021 (TON): In a row of claiming Erdogan’s involvement in the death of 13 Turkish in Iraq, Turkish President Erdogan sued his main opposition rival.

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants have been accused by Turkey of executing 13 police officers and security personnel that got abducted in Turkey and held hostage in a cave in Northern Iraq.

But the Turkey labeled terrorist organization PKK and the western allies said the 13 were killed by Turkish bombs dropped during last week’s Ankara rescue operation.

The failed rescue attempt has piled political pressure on Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey as prime minister and president since 2003.

Leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu said on Tuesday in parliament that it was Erdogan who is responsible for our 13 martyrs.

“You launched an operation but all the hostages died,” Kilicdaroglu said.

His comments infuriated Erdogan, whose lawyers are now seeking 500,000 Turkish liras ($72,000) in “moral damages,” the media reported.

Criticizing Erdogan for the failed operation and arguing that negotiations would have been more effective pointed by parliament’s second largest opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

Supporting the government, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said, “Turkey is a rising power which fought in (northern Iraq) not only against the PKK but also against strategic threats.”

However, it is observed that the Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq that has been insurgent against the Turkish state since 1984 and had left more than 40,000 dead.