State-run Anadolu Agency: Öcalan Calls HDP to Remain Neutral in İstanbul Elections

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State-run Anadolu Agency has reported that Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, has made a call to the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) to remain neutral in the İstanbul Metropolitan Mayoral election rerun that will be held on this Sunday (June 23).

"Making a statement from İmralı Prison, terrorist head Öcalan made a call to the HDP to remain neutral in İstanbul elections," the AA reported.

Öcalan sent a letter via Özcan

After the above news was reported in the press last evening, it was also announced that the letter written by Öcalan on June 18 was shared with the AA by Assoc. Prof. Ali Kemal Özcan, the Sociology Department Chair of Tunceli Munzur University.

Stating that "he had gone to İmralı upon the approval of the state," Özcan shared the message of Öcalan, who expressed his wish that "the HDP insist on its neutrality that it maintained in previous elections up to now."

The news was first reported by the state-run AA and İhlas News Agency (İHA) and it has sparked controversy that the message of Öcalan was shared by Assoc. Prof. Ali Kemal Özcan, who was not among the lawyers of Öcalan.

Reactions by the HDP

Making a statement regarding the issue, HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli has stated that the statement for the press to be held by Öcalan's attorneys from the Asrın Law Bureau needs to be awaited.

Former HDP MP Ziya Pir has also said on Twitter, "What kind of a brazeness that is... As they understand that they will lose the elections, they are reporting FABRICATED news. No one should take such FABRICATED news into account. The votes of HDP to İmamoğlu!"

Posting a tweet regarding the issue, HDP İstanbul MP Ahmet Şık has also written in Turkish and Kurdish, "Everything will be fine", which is the electoral slogan of Nation Alliance's Metropolitan Mayoral candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

Speaking to ANF news, Murat Karayılan, one of the leaders of Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), has said,

"The HDP and other democratic institutions, non-governmental organizations have made their decisions about it. They will consider the democratic option against fascism to be the essential."

Asrın Law Bureau: Wait for our statement

Sharing a message on their Twitter account, the Asrın Law Bureau, which the lawyers of Öcalan are affiliated with, have announced that they will make a statement for the press regarding the issue today.

CLICK - Öcalan's Lawyers Share the Details of Their Meeting with Öcalan and His Messages

(EMK/SD)