Demirtaş: Suggesting Hitler Model is Legal, Swedish Model is not

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Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş has interpreted self-governance declaration announced by Democratic Society Congress (DTK) as “antidote of dictatorship”.

Demirtaş said they have been declared as separatists for explaining their opinions in parliament.

Here are some important remarks from statement of Demirtaş:

Bodies

“Body of the civilians murdered are being kept for days. The families are not permitted to have the bodies. You get children killed, civilians killed, shouldn’t we call you to account for it? Should we take it on the chin because you are going to get angry?

“Of course we are trying to open the dialogue channels but no one should expect us to leave the people unprotected”.

Being a side of

“Those who tell us to pick a side…We have already picked it; we stand by the people. We never stand by the tyranny of the government.

“Why do the deputies have immunity? We are uncomfortable with that; we will vote ‘yes’ if you bring it to parliament. However, will you be able to say ‘We haven’t stolen’, ‘We haven’t robbed’?”

Immunity

“Aren’t we 550 deputies? Our Constitution proposal stands there.  We are ready to lift immunity. Let immunity of every deputy be lifted, both them and us be judged”.

Self-governance

“We will breathe if regional administration, self-governance is actualized in all over Turkey. The country won’t be divided. Kurds will not feel themselves as inferior citizens anymore. They will see how good-intended this suggestion is if they really look at it instead of launching investigations.

“We would have probably started to rot in jail if we had suggested Hitler model. We are standing behind our proposal.

“You are discussing presidential system; why shouldn’t we discuss self-governance? In all democratic countries, there are forms of self-government. There are strong local administrations. It is legal to suggest Hitler model, illegal to suggest Swedish model; interesting!”

Constitution

“Is it possible to make a constitution in such a climate? AKP (Justice and Development Party) knows it better than us. I don’t know how we will make a new constitution whilst there is such discrimination among parties. They look as they want to compromise but in fact, there is only one subject they need, which is presidency. They discuss [the rest] just to make it happen. There is no sincerity about it”.

“Local community”

“The Prime Minister is holding an hour-long group meeting where he constantly says ‘local community’. Are we ‘local community’? Are there ‘Turks’ and ‘local community’ living in Turkey?

“Those are Kurdish people, not local community. Who is this local community? He cannot even say the name of Kurds, how will he solve the problem”?

Djemevi

“Determining whether Djemevi is a house of prayer does not belong to neither jurisprudence, nor ethics, nor Religious Affairs.

“Djemevi is a house of prayer because that is how Alewis see it. Period. No one has the right to discuss it”. (YY/TK)