In a party statement the HDP blamed the Turkish Government and the Ministry of the Interior led by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) for the attack on their party building.[1][2] HDP co-chair Mithat Sancar announced that a meeting of forty participants was cancelled ahead of the attack.[3] The left-wing Labour Party (EMEP) demanded to know who had the power to allow the assailant to perpetrate such an attack.[21] Meral Daniş Beştaş blamed the attack on the fact that former assailants were handed down lenient sentences like rewards.