HDP to meet political parties not represented in Parliament

* Photo: HDP

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chair Saruhan Oluç held a press conference at the Parliament today (January 17) and talked about the current issues and developments in Turkey.

Journalists asked Saruhan Oluç about the news that following its "Call to Democracy Declaration" on September 27, the HDP will meet different constituencies tomorrow, on January 18, 2022.

Oluç confirmed that a meeting will be held in Ankara tomorrow, noting that eight parties and the HDP will attend the meeting where the current issues on Turkey's agenda will be discussed. "It will be discussed how a struggle will be waged against the problems created by these economic policies and the problems created by the lack of democracy," he noted.

According to HDP's Saruhan Oluç, "a part of this discussion will - of course - be the elections that should be held in 2023." Indicating that "the attitude to be taken at the elections will be discussed" at the meeting, he said, "So, all issues of Turkey will be talked about. A statement will probably be made by the participating parties afterwards. At least, information may be shared about how the process will continue."

Parties outside the Parliament

Oluç did not name the parties to attend the meeting one by one, saying that there will not be the parties that have a group at the Parliament. "Eight parties and the HDP will attend this meeting," said Oluç, noting that these are the "parties outside the Parliament."

It was previously reported in the news that the HDP would meet the representatives of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), Socialist Assemblies Federation (SMF), Labor Party (EMEP), Social Freedom Party (TÖP), Left Party, People's Houses, Labourist Movement Party (EHP) and Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) in a meeting with a focus on "Democracy Alliance".

Releasing a statement today, the Left Party said that it will "not be a part of the work named democracy alliance, to be made upon the call of the HDP and whose boundaries and content are not certain."

Nation's Alliance will not be at the meeting

HDP's Saruhan Oluç also indicated that the parties from the Nation's Alliance of the main opposition Republican People's Party and the İYİ Party will not be at the meeting to be held tomorrow.

'Society struggles against price hikes'

Further in his statement, Saruhan Oluç talked about the economic crisis in Turkey. Lashing out at the taxes collected from people and the hikes in the prices of electricity and natural gas as well as taxes, Oluç accused the government of "using the budget to make pro-government people and groups rich, to offer tax exemptions or to transfer it to interest rate lobbies."

Calling on the government to remove the Special Consumption Tax to "make the 84 million people relieved", Oluç noted that "while everyone is suffering under these economic conditions and the price increases in electricity and natural gas follow one another, the expenditures of the [Presidential] Palace is foreseen to be over 400 billion Turkish Lira in 2022."

"On the one side, extravagance, gimmickry and making all expenditures for oneself; on the other, a society struggling against price increases... A society struggling against price increases with its laborers, pensioners, women and young people," said Oluç further. (AS/SD)