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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chair candidates are Pervin Buldan are Sezai Temelli, announced HDP Co-Chair Serpil Kemalbay in a press conference at HDP headquarters in anticipation of the party convention to be held on February 11.
Kemalbay touched on preparation for the coming convention as well as increasing detainments and arrests within this period:
"Detainments and arrests aim to prevent conference attendance"
"The AKP-Erdoğan government's oppression continues. We know that they have led these detainment and arrest operations to prevent attendance to our conference. 14 HDP province co-chairs have been arrested since January 20. Eight of our district co-chairs, 18 of our province and district co-chairs, and 7 of our MPs were detained. We are also faced with operations against our constituents.
"Our buildings Niğde, Iğdır, Dargeçit, Pendik, and Şereflikoçhisar have been attacked as a result of the militarist language surrounding the war in Afrin.
"All of these are moves by the AKP-Palace government aimed to debilitate our party. They must have understood that these attacks have no effect. The peoples have joined hands. They will continue with this process until democracy is attained.
About Pervin Buldan
She is a politician born in Hakkari province in 1967.
She has two children.
Her businessperson spouse Savaş Buldan was kidnapped and killed by unidentified parties after then Prime Minister Tansu Çiller's November 4, 1993 announcement that "We have a list of Kurdish businesspeople assisting the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party]. It consists of about 60 names. The state will use all means to fight those who provide financial support for the PKK, just as it fights the PKK itself."
As a Saturday Mother/Person herself, Buldan served as president of the Association of Solidarity and Assistance for the Families of Missing Persons.
She was DEHAP's Istanbul 3rd region MP candidate in the 2002 general elections, but did not become MP because her party fell below the election threshold.
In 2005, she was nominated by a Switzerland women's initiative for the Nobel Peace Prize.
She was elected HDP's Iğdır MP in the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th electoral terms. She continues to serve as HDP Group Deputy Chair.
About Sezai Temelli
He was born in Istanbul in 1963.
He graduated from the Department of Finance of Istanbul University's Faculty of Economics and got his doctorate degree at the same university.
He was discharged from his position as instructor at Istanbul University's Political Science and Public Administration Department of Finance by statutory decree number 675 issued within the scope of the state of emergency.
He continues to serve as HDP's Vice Co-Chair in Charge of Economics.
He was elected as HDP's Istanbul MP in the 25th Term (June 7 elections). He was not elected to parliament in the November 1, 2015 elections. (EKN/PU)
