HDP expects snap presidential election, says it's ready

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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is ready for a possible snap election, its co-chair Pervin Buldan has said.

Speaking in the northwestern Balıkesir province as part of the "Democratic Struggle Program," Buldan said the opposition needed "a strong alliance" to defeat the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

"This alliance will be an alliance of democracy. It will be an alliance of women and youth. It will be an alliance of those united against violence. We are already making preparations for this. Together we will wage a struggle to get rid of the AKP. We are working for this," she remarked.

Asserting that the AKP "knows it will lose in the first election" and polls show that it is "collapsing," Buldan said it would go for a snap election.

"At any moment, they may come with a snap election date. But the HDP is ready for that," she said.

"The Kurdish report is what we have experienced"

"Some newly founded parties and a former prime minister are eyeing the Kurdish votes," Buldan said, referring to the Future Party (Gelecek), which was founded in December by Ahmet Davutoğlu, who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister and the AKP Chair between 2009 and 2016.

Davutoğlu has been recently attending events in the Kurdish-majority eastern and southeastern provinces. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is also reportedly preparing a "Kurdish report."

Addressing those who were "mere spectators" while the Kurdish people were "massacred" and their elected officials were put in prison, Buldan said, "What we have experienced is the report."

The government has taken over 47 of the 65 municipalities won by the HDP in the Kurdish-majority provinces in the March 2019 local elections.

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Death fasting lawyers

On Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal, two arrested lawyers who have been on a death fast since January 2 and February 2, respectively, for their "right to a fair trial," Buldan remarked, "Their only demand is a fair trial. There is no fair trial in this country."

"Authors, those who want democracy, women, youth are prison in this country. Turkey has turned into a semi-open prison. No one feels safe. This era can't continue like this. You will need justice one day, too," she added. (EMK/VK)