Survey: More than 70 percent of Kurdish voters against HDP's closure

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Some 71.8 percent of the people in Kurdish-majority regions are against the closure case against the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and 33.5 percent consider the expulsion of the HDP's Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu from the parliament as a "coup against the political will," according to a new survey.

The survey was conducted between March 18 and 21 by the Diyarbakır-based Socio-Political Field Research Center.

While most of the respondents opposed the closure case against the party, 12 percent found it "positive" and this was a "quite high" rate, Yüksel Genç, the coordinator of the center, told bianet.

Trust in politics

Voters of not only the HDP but also the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and its ally İYİ (Good) Party consider the HDP's closure and Gergerlioğlu's expulsion as negative developments, said Genç.

"The trust of Kurdish voters, especially of HDP voters, in politics, have decreased, so they don't attribute a special meaning [to politics].

"There are also voters who say that the HDP should withdraw [from the parliament] but they say the parliament is dysfunctional and they should produce policies to make it functional, they assign a mission to their politicians.

"The voters also call on the opposition for establishing alliances. They recommend the opposition to do effective politics."

Pessimism

"In the field, there is pessimism about the state of affairs in Turkey. We didn't ask 'How do you view the future?' but the displeasure with the politics becoming monistic is stated when responding to questions.

"They state that the instability in politics is reflected in unemployment and the economy. It's said that 'If there is stability in politics, the economy wouldn't be like this.'

"The AKP, even the MHP voters view the closure case against the HDP and the revocation of Gergerlioğlu's deputyship as a risk regarding the future of Turkey

"... The AKP has the most undecided voters. These moves are being made for the undecided voters but the politics of polarization, which has been carried out for a long time, has long reached its peak point. Even their own voters don't accept it."

Gergerlioğlu

A lawyer and a human rights advocate, Gergerlioğlu extensively worked on rights violations as a parliamentarian. He was on March 17 stripped of MP status after his sentence for "terror propaganda" because of a Twitter post was approved by the Court of Cassation. 

In the survey conducted in the provinces of Diyarbakır, Urfa, Batman, Mardin, Van, Kars, Siirt, Şırnak, Hakkari, Muş and Bingöl, the respondents were first asked how they viewed the revocation of Gergerlioğlu's parliamentary seat.

Among the respondents, 33.5 percent said it was a "coup against the political will," 28.3 percent said it was "a practice that happened as a result of the AKP-MHP alliance's political stance," 22.6 percent said it was "the mandatory result of the legal process," and 15.1 percent said it was "a practice that happened before the completion of the legal process."

Some 54 percent of the AKP voters described the case as "the mandatory result of the legal process" while 36.4 percent of the CHP voters said it was a "coup against the political will."

Among the HDP voters, 43.1 percent said it was a "coup against the political will" and 63 percent of the MHP voters said it was "the mandatory result of the legal process."

The HDP closure case

When asked about how they viewed the closure case against the HDP, which was filed on March 17 for the party's alleged involvement in "terror" activities and links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), 71.8 percent said it was a "negative" development while 12.3 percent said it was "positive." 

Thirty percent of the AKP voters, 67.3 percent of the CHP voters, 94.6 percent of the HDP voters, 18.5 of the MHP voters, 25 percent of the Free Democracy Party (HÜDA-PAR) voters, 59.4 of the İYİ Party voters and 50 percent viewed the closure case negatively.

When asked about that will be the primary result of the possible closure of the HDP, 36.8 percent said, "Turkey's democracy will be hurt," 13.1 percent said it will be a blow to the possibility of the peaceful solution of the Kurdish problem, 12.8 percent said "the emotional rift among the Kurds will be deepened," and 9.1 percent said, "The sphere of the Kurds' political representation will be weakened."

As the "second" important result, 25.9 percent said "the emotional rift among the Kurds will be deepened," 16.8 percent said "The sphere of the Kurds' political representation will be weakened," and 16 percent said it will be a blow to the possibility of the peaceful solution of the Kurdish problem.

What should the HDP do?

About what should the HDP in the face of the closure case, 39.8 percent of the respondents said, "It should wait for the completion of the case and determine a stance accordingly," 15 percent said, "It should abolish itself and continue under a different name without waiting for the completion of the case" and 10.4 percent said, "It should create public opinion in the international arena."

About the HDP voters' possible stance in case of the party's closure, 40.6 percent of the respondents said the voters would "wait for the party's decision," 13.8 percent said they would "protest the ruling in mass demonstrations," and 11.5 percent said they would join the party that would be founded as the successor of the HDP.

What should the opposition do?

When asked what the opposition's stance should be against the closure case, 44.2 percent said they should solidarize with the HDP, 21.9 percent said they should respect the judicial decision and 13.5 percent said they should organize a series of events in protest of the decision.

Forty-four percent of the AKP voters and 50 percent of the MHP voters said they should respect the judgment while 38.2 percent of the CHP voters and 60.4 percent of the HDP voters said they should solidarize with the HDP.

Among the İYİ Party voters, 37.8 percent said they should respect the judgment while 32.4 percent said they should solidarize with the HDP. (RT/VK)