Following the 1st congress of Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) over the weekend, bianet interviewed Sebahat Tuncel, HDP’s newly elected co-chair along with Ertuğrul Kürkçü.
“We are happy to observe that our efforts in the past 2 years have not been for nothing. The attendance and enthusiasm of our party congress was a proof. We have seen that we have created a serious alternative. It gives us a sense of duty and responsibility,” she said.
“As a result of this enthusiasm, this motivation, this participation, we are supposed to hold our duties and responsibilities. As long as we are holding our duties, the participation will climb, we will be organized in more areas. At least, we received the message that ‘Yes, you are on the right path, we find this path important, finish up this path’.”
“BDP or HDP”
Tuncel also commented on the upcoming elections. She went on to say that HDP congress was also the start of the election process.
“We will decide when to run with BDP or HDP,” she said. We find it important to run elections with candidates who are popular among their surroundings and will be likely to realize our local government policies. We will not determine our candidates with a central decision-making process. The roadmap will be made after a series of meetings with HDP executive board and HDP party assembly. This situation will be clarified in the next 10 days.”
“LGBT candidates positions are open”
“LGBT people took part in HDP administration. This approach will be continue in every aspect.
“We take this situation as principal. Therefore, our party is open to candidates with LGBT background.”
Open door policy
“Yesterday, our co-chair Ertuğrul Kürkçü also said that he didn’t find the current participation enough. There is a possibility that we might even get bigger.
“We would like to see HDP as common platform where people struggle for democracy, ecology and women’s liberation. Therefore, we can walk this path with all entities that will find a common ground with us.
“Regarding coalitions, our principal is to make it transparent and within principals. There must also be a common ground with our party. However, such case has yet to happen. A lot of people are wondering whether we will make a coalition with CHP. It is not clear yet.” (EKN/BM)
* Photo credit: Ahmet İzgi / AA
* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.
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