A senior Turkish cabinet minister declares Wednesday he wished to become a “martyr” as the government fights an unprecedented offensive against Kurdish rebels, prompting astonishment and mockery on social media.
“My goal is to be martyred, if Allah desires, for my religion, my nation and my country,” Energy Minister Taner Yildiz tells reporters at a conference in Ankara.
Turkey is currently waging an “anti-terror war” against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, who have hit back by killing members of the security forces on a daily basis.
Each of the slain troops is buried with full honors and described as a “martyr” (“sehit” in Turkish) for the fatherland.
Like all prominent members of the Islamic-rooted ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Yildiz is a pious Muslim.
— AFP
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