Turkey’s opposition fragments ahead of March local elections

[Anthea]

HDP to merge with Greens

Turkey’s traitorous pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) on Wednesday announced that it will merge with the Green Left party in the party’s “extraordinary” congress later this month

“Our party will lead the struggle and building process of the new era with the Green Left Party by adhering to the essence and revolutionary nature of our paradigm and preserving its institutional identity,” read the statement of the HDP.

The decision of joining the Green Left Party was taken in the Party’s assembly meeting on Monday, where they also decided to hold the party’s extraordinary congress on August 27.

“The 4th Extraordinary Congress, which we will hold on August 27, 2023, will be a beginning where the experience and knowledge of HDP and the parties representing our tradition will be transferred to the Green Left Party,” continued the statement.

HDP participated in Turkey’s parliamentary elections in May under the umbrella of the Green Left party, to evade an ongoing party shutdown case at Turkey's constitutional court.

Party co-chair Mithat Sancar said ahead of Monday’s assembly meeting that they will be discussing the methods of transferring HDP’s experience to the Green Left in a way that “will maintain its institutional presence”.

On May 14, Turkey conducted parliamentary and presidential elections wherein the HDP lost six seats as compared to the 2018 polls. The party managed to secure 61 out of the 600 seats in the legislature.

Criticism was directed towards the party for endorsing opposition candidate Ataturkist Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the presidential election and not running a purely pro-Kurdish campaign. Following their poor performance in the election, the party opted to hold a congress.

It is still uncertain whether HDP will disband or continue to operate on a much smaller level.

In June, Sancar and Pervin Buldan, the co-chairs of the party, announced stepping down from the top position at the party's next congress during a live broadcast. Buldan cited the weak election campaign and lack of diversity among their candidates as the main reasons for losing votes.

The HDP's loss of votes in the election caused criticism within the party. Many voices called for Buldan and Sancar to be held accountable and resign from their positions.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/09082023

HDP are traitors and should be closed

Kurds deserve an Independent Kurdistan Party

[Anthea]

Pro-Kurdish party
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Sultan Özcan and Cahit Kırkazak will be introduced as the new co-chairs of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) party at the upcoming congress upcoming Sunday

This decision comes after the current HDP Co-chairs, Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, declared that they would not be seeking re-election for the co-chair positions, paving the way for Sultan Özcan and Cahit Kırkazak to succeed them.

Moreover, due to the potential risk of closure due an ongoing court case, the HDP has decided to transfer its operations to the Green Left Party.

The HDP has been facing a closure case since June 2021.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has accused the HDP of having ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey. The HDP has denied the links.

Sultan Özcan has a history of holding various roles within the HDP, including his most recent role as Co-spokesperson of the HDP Committee on Relations with NGOs and political parties.

On the other hand, Cahit Kirkazak has been involved as one of the legal representatives in the Kobani trial and has also served as a member of the Green Left Party Central Executive Board.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party is already preparing for the upcoming Turkish local elections scheduled for March 24, after winning the parliament and presidential elections last May. This despite Kurdish support for the opposition.

The HDP in the March 2019 elections supported Republican People’s Party (CHP) Ataturkisim candidates in Istanbul, Ankara, and other municipalities in Western Turkey, defeating AKP candidates. Now Erdogan is preparing to take back Istanbul and Ankara from the CHP.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/32 ... leadership

[Anthea]

Turkey’s opposition fragments

Turkish opposition bloc fragmented ahead of the country’s local elections set to be held in March, as parties opted out of forming alliances on Monday, turning the tables in favor of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)

In the 2019 local elections, the nationalist opposition IYI party endorsed the candidates of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the country’s largest opposition party, in the main cities of Istanbul and Ankara, and the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), which rebranded as the Peoples’ Equality and Democratic Party (HEDEP) due to legal issues, did not field candidates in the western provinces, resulting in CHP winning the mayoralty of the largest Turkish provinces of Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Antalya.

Last week, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel offered the IYI Party an opportunity to cooperate in the local elections set to be held in March 2024. Both parties were among the protagonists of the opposition’s Nation Alliance’s failed bid to unseat the ruling AKP and Erdogan in May’s parliamentary and presidential elections.

Kursad Zorlu, the spokesperson of the IYI party, announced on Monday that the party's general administrative board had voted against cooperating with the CHP. As a result, the party will run independently in the upcoming elections.

“Our IYI party will enter the elections freely and independently,” Zorlu said.

Last week, Ozel said that CHP would respect any decision the IYI party might choose to take.

CHP’s challenge at the local elections is to retain control of Turkey’s largest provinces of Istanbul and Ankara, which it won the mayoralty of in the 2019 elections, after nearly two decades of AKP dominance.

The pro-Kurdish HEDEP also announced on Monday that the party’s central executive board suggested fielding candidates in every province across Turkey ahead of the elections. The board’s suggestion will be assessed by the party’s leadership, said spokesperson Aysegul Dogan

Erdogan in August verbally attacked the mayors of Istanbul and Ankara, whom he described as “inept,” and vowed to take back the municipalities under their control.

“We will reveal the real faces of those who try to cover up their failures in municipalities with fake agendas and exaggerated rhetoric, and in March 2024, we will take the trust from the inept [mayors] and give it to its people,” Erdogan said.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/05122023