From HDP to Opposition: It is not Time to Stay Silent

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chair Saruhan Oluç held a statement for the press at the Parliament and addressed the reporters about the latest developments today (October 21).

On this occasion, Oluç denounced the detention of dismissed Metropolitan Co-Mayor of Diyarbakır Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı, Kayapınar Co-Mayor Keziban Yılmaz, Bismil Co-Mayor Orhan Ayaz and Kocaköy Co-Mayor Rojda Nazlıer in police operations this morning.

'Intimidation against public opposition'

"The government tells Kurdish people, 'I will seize your will', 'It doesn't count if you elect them', 'There is no law for you', 'If you are a Kurd, you cannot be a mayor', 'If you are a Kurd, you cannot administer you own province, district, town'," said Oluç and made the following remarks in brief:

"The government keeps on seizing people's will by using the war as an excuse. It is, in fact, quite an overt process of political coup. The process of disregarding March 31 [local] elections continues. It is a move to eliminate democratic politics. It is an intimidation against the entire public opposition.

"I want to call on the public and political opposition from here: When you do not take a stance against appointment of trustees to municipalities one by one, it actually means that you are turning a blind eye to the abolition of democratic politics through a process of a political coup.

"And, sooner or later, it will turn into a wave that hits the entire public and political opposition. That is why, staying silent and keeping a blind eye is not a right stance to take. It is not time to stay silent.

'Hundreds of thousands of people displaced'

"They are trying to make a whole society a party to their crime. Those who raise their voices, who say 'No to war, we want peace' are the ones who refuse to be a party to the crimes committed by the government. What they do is extremely democratic and legitimate. We want to ask now: What has Turkey gained by your policies, you policies of war and invasion?

"You have sown the seeds of enmity both inside and outside. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. The figures shared by the UN say over 165 thousand, local sources say that more than 300 thousand people have been displaced. Is it what Turkey has won by your policies?

'Exploitation of labor has increased day by day'

"Or have you prevented corruption, unemployment and economic deterioration with what you have done? No! You have ensured that unemployment and economic deterioration are not discussed. You took these steps to ensure that anyway.

"In the first nine months of 2019, 4 thousand people became unemployed. AKP has created 1 million 65 thousand new unemployed in nine months.

"Have your war policies done any good to the unemployed? No. The exploitation of labor has increased day by day. Can your war policies stop price increases? No. It will do the exact opposite. What you have done in the past a few weeks has not helped Turkey win anything, but imade it lose a lot.

'You cannot resolve problems with conflict'

"This country does not have any problems to resolve with war, with conflict. This country has to resolve its problems, including Kurdish question, with peace, by speaking and through negotiation.

"The only way not taken by Turkey is the way of peace and Turkey should definitely try to take this way. You should definitely give up your plan to change the demographics of northern and eastern Syria." (RT/SD)