Turkey’s opposition fragments ahead of March local elections

[Anthea]

Demirtas says PKK can be disarmed
Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Selahattin Demirtas, the imprisoned ex-co-chair of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), suggested on Thursday that the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) may be possible if the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were to lose the upcoming general elections

“Let's make a promise to our people, we will do our best to completely disarm the PKK in Turkey after the Erdogan regime, fed by conflict, and we will definitely succeed,” he said on Twitter.

“We will definitely solve our problems in Parliament, within the framework of law, and ensure great social peace.”

A peace process between the Turkish government and the PKK collapsed in 2015.

Demirtas echoed sentiments expressed by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), who visited HDP leaders on March 20, and argued the Kurdish issue could be solved within the Turkish parliament.

Kilicdaroglu in a foreword of a new book authored by CHP Deputy Chair Sezgin Tanrikulu also suggested the issue should be solved within the parliament, Gercek news reported.

Demirtas has also criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government for imprisoning those who advocated for peace, closing political parties, and inciting conflict in a bid to secure more electoral support.

Polls show that the Turkish opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, could possibly beat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming May presidential elections.

The HDP has publicly indicated they will support the Turkish opposition, as they did in the 2019 municipal elections in Ankara and Istanbul, resulting in a win for the opposition.

Declining economic conditions and skyrocketing inflation rates in Turkey, and the sluggish emergency response to the earthquake crisis that caused the loss of thousands of lives, have contributed to Erdogan declining popularity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrqdHVeBkp4

What Selahattin Demirtas is saying is that the HDP is connected to the PKK to such an extent that they control whether or not the PKK disarm

What I say is that the PKK should be the army of a FREE NORTHERN KURDISTAN

Many thousands or Kurds have given their lives for FREEDOM and though I believe in peaceful protests I have a great deal of respect for those who have dedicated their lives to a FREE KURDISTAN

I know of some truly dedicated people within the HDP but they are in the minority, most of them are only their to pamper their own egos such as Selahattin Demirtas who is only interested in Selahattin Demirtas

I have been watching Kemal Kilicdaroglu and the CHP in recent years and have seen NOTHING to show that they have the interests of Kurds at heart or in fact that they have changed from their original Kemalist ideology

Remember Kemalisim = also known as Atatürkism and has been suppressing / slaughtering Kurds for 100 YEARS

[Anthea]

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Life in prison for former HDP co-chairs

A Turkish prosecutor in Ankara on Friday asked for aggravated life imprisonment for the former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, and 34 others, in a case related to Kobane protests in 2014

In October 2014, the city of Kobane in Western Kurdistan was under attack by the Islamic State (ISIS). HDP called for street protests to ask the Turkish government to open a corridor allowing military aid from the Kurdistan Region to reach the Kurdish city. The protests turned violent and 51 people were killed and hundreds more injured. Demirtas held a press conference in Diyarbakir (Amed in Kurdish) where he criticised the violence while remaining firm in his support for the protestors. The demonstrations ended on his call.

At the latest hearing on Friday of the case that has been ongoing for more than two years, the prosecutor asked for life in prison for Demirtas, Yuksekdag, and 34 others on the charge of disrupting the unity and territorial integrity of the state, Diken news outlet reported.

The defendants’ lawyers accused the prosecutor of bowing to political pressure and being “President Erdogan’s appetiser” during an election campaign. Turkey will elect a new parliament and president in a competitive May 14 vote.

Demirtas too said the charges against him are political. “On May 14, we will tear up and throw away the indictment, which was written in the palace and handed over to the court committee,” he tweeted after the hearing, referring to the palace of the president.

“You couldn't bring us to our knees with your plots, but you will kneel before the people!” he added.

Former Mardin mayor Ahmet Turk and Green Left Party (Yesil Sol) parliamentary candidate Sirri Sureya Onder are among the defendants the prosecutor is requesting serve life in prison. Due to health reasons, Turk is expected to be released under judicial control.

Demirtas and Yuksekdag have been in prison since 2016 when they were arrested as part of a crackdown on the HDP, which is accused terrorism links.

In an election rally in Diyarbakir on Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked the crowd “Where is Selo [Selahattin]?” and called the jailed former HDP leader a “terrorist.”

In December 2020, the European Court of Human Rights called for the “immediate release” of Demirtas, finding “several violations” of the European Convention on Human Rights had been committed. Erdogan slammed the court ruling at the time, saying “These steps are political, double standards and hypocritical.”

Demirtas faces multiple court cases and has been convicted on several charges, including insulting the president.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/14042023

Selahattin Demirtas always reminded me of a dodgy used car salesman. In his position as chair of the HDP his actions caused problems for other members of the party. When the egotistical Selahattin Demirtas was arrested and unable to strut around receiving praise from the masses, he stated he would step down from the political arena and washed his hands of the HDP. Perhaps he thought that laying blame for HDP's wrong doing on others would prevent / shorten his prison sentence

I think that Selahattin Demirtas's actions bought disrepute to the HDP, I also feel that his actions may lead to the closure of the party

[Anthea]

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Complaint against Umit Ozdag

The Diyarbakir Bar Association announced on Saturday that they have filed a criminal complaint against a far-right political leader who called supporters of a pro-Kurdish leftist party “murderers.”

Umit Ozdag, who leads the Zafer (Victory) party, was seen in a video calling supporters of the Green Left Party “murderers” and “those who came down from the mountain,” a reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an armed group struggling for greater rights for Kurds in Turkey.

The Diyarbakir Bar Association announced on Twitter that they have filed a complaint against Ozdag with the city’s public prosecutor’s office, accusing him of humiliating Green Left voters.

“About the chairman of the Victory Party, during the election event, a criminal complaint was filed with the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office within the scope of the ‘crime of publicly humiliating a segment of the population" due to the words he said, "murderers" and "those who came down from the mountain," in reference to HDP and YSP [Green Left] voters,” reads the announcement.

The Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections will take place on May 14. The Green Left Party is running as the heir to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a pro-Kurdish party that is facing closure in a court case for alleged terror ties. In the 2018 parliamentary election, HDP won more than 6 million votes, becoming the third most popular party, behind the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Ozdag hit back at the Diyarbakir Bar Association on Twitter, calling it “openly hostile to the Turkish republic and the Turkish nation in every way possible.”

Ozdag is known for his anti-Kurdish and anti-refugee stances. Last week, he engaged in a Twitter feud with an Izmir-based Kurdish businessman who he called a “separatist” who helps the PKK.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... /150420231

[Anthea]

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Anti-Kurdish election propaganda

Turkish presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party for what he called anti-Kurdish election propaganda, in a video shared on Twitter on Monday night

“In recent years, whenever we talk about elections, whenever the [presidential] palace feels it is losing the elections, it starts a collective labeling and treatment of the Kurds as terrorists,” said Kilicdaroglu.

Kilicdaroglu is the presidential candidate of a group of opposition parties called the Nation Alliance that is looking to unseat Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14. The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) is not part of the alliance, but they have given Kilicdaroglu their implicit support.

At election rallies, Erdogan repeatedly calls Kilicdaroglu the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) candidate. The PKK is an armed Kurdish group that for decades has struggled for greater rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is labeled a terror organization by Ankara.

“Every day, they spend millions of liras to run a smear campaign against me and in doing so they treat millions of Kurds as terrorists,” Kilicdaroglu, said, adding that this is an attempt to manipulate voters.

This is not the first time Kilicdaroglu called out the Turkish government over the country’s large Kurdish population. Following a meeting with HDP co-chairs Mithat Sancar and Pervin Buldan in March, he accused the Turkish government of having double standards when it comes to the Kurdish language, which is restricted in some public settings in Turkey.

“I will not let anyone damage the brotherhood for a few votes,” vowed Kilicdaroglu, pointing out that Turks and Kurds have lived together for centuries.

Kilicdaroglu is the leader of Republican People’s Party (CHP). The party was established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern republic of Turkey, and has a checkered history in relation to the Kurds. During CHP’s reign in the 1930s, Kurdish language and culture were forbidden, a ban that lasted for nearly 80 years.

Kilicdaroglu, however, has Kurdish roots and many hope that his election could be a step towards resolving Turkey’s Kurdish problem. He is taking on Erdogan at a time when Erdogan’s popularity is at its lowest, according to opinion polls.

If elected, he and his allies at the Nation Alliance have vowed to abolish the presidency system that was introduced by Erdogan following a referendum, and restore the parliamentary system.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/18042023

Why has HDP given Kilicdaroglu their implicit support

I repeat:

I have been watching Kemal Kilicdaroglu and the CHP in recent years and have seen NOTHING to show that they have the interests of Kurds at heart or in fact that they have changed from their original, Kurdish slaughtering, Kemalist ideology

[Anthea]

Whole world hates America

Turkish interior minister says

The world has no lost love for America, and the West’s efforts to impose its culture and values on the planet are doomed to fail because its hegemony no longer exists, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has said

America is losing its global credibility and the "whole world hates America," Soylu said, speaking at a pre-election meeting with young people in Istanbul Tuesday.

Suggesting that Europe has turned into America’s “pawn” in Africa, Soylu said that “there is no such thing as Europe” today. “Do not overthink it. America exists. Europe is the train in the US convoy. It does not have any special features.”

The official pointed to the numerous problems facing Europe, including the constant discrediting of its leaders, the aging of the population, and economic problems.

The interior minister said that he was “not afraid of terrorism” because the activities of terrorists and the efforts necessary to fight them are clear. “But one of the greatest dangers in the world is cultural terrorism, and we are facing cultural terrorism. We are facing a cultural terrorism that’s aimed at destroying the family structure, morality…the civilizations of nations, their history, our religion, our values, traditions, customs, what our mothers and fathers taught us,” Sputnik quoted him as saying.

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/199717/Who ... ister-says

[Anthea]

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Opposition and Ukraine war

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu highlights that the Turkish opposition may drag the country into the Ukraine war if it wins the 2023 Turkish parliamentary elections

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, on Wednesday, that the Turkish opposition may drag the country into the Ukraine war if it wins the 2023 Turkish parliamentary elections, given its desire to "pick a certain side and tip the balance."

On his visit to the Turkish city of Manavgat, Gavusoglu said, "We are currently pursuing a well-balanced policy [in relation to the situation in Ukraine] ... What's in it for us to support a certain side and become a party to the conflict? And those who say 'we should pick a certain side and tip the balance,' will draw our country into the war, if they come to power."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Turkish diplomat stressed that Turkey is not "a pawn in the games of other countries, but an autonomous country that makes its own rules."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured in late March that "the current government in Ankara will not allow the West to drag the country into a war against Russia."

At the time, Kilicdaroglu's foreign policy advisor, Unal Cevikoz, said as quoted by Sputnik that "the Turkish opposition is convinced that it will be able to preserve positive and balanced relations with Russia if its presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu wins."

This comes as the Turkish elections are anticipated to be the most polarized this year, determining the fate of 85 million citizens, and are supposed to be a litmus test for Erdogan's job performance. This will mark the second election since Turkey switched from a parliamentary to a presidential system following a 2017 referendum that granted him broad new powers.

At the beginning of this month, Kilicdaroglu was chosen as the main opposition candidate, and he now poses Erdogan's main electoral threat, and s already leading against Erdogan by more than 10 percentage points ahead of the elections, according to polls.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... s:-officia

[Anthea]

Election hope for PKK

The upcoming Turkish elections in May are the last hope for groups such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) who are “bleeding” and “in a state of panic,” Turkey’s defense minister claimed Friday in a reference to Ankara’s military operations in the Kurdistan Region

“Terrorists are bleeding in Zap and Gara in the north of Iraq. They are in panic, they will end. Their only hope is the election,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said about the PKK.

The PKK is a Kurdish group that has fought for Kurdish rights and waged an armed insurgency against Turkey for decades and is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, who has launched numerous operations against the group and its alleged offshoots in the Kurdistan Region and Syria.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) is accused by some Turkish officials and politicians of being the political wing of the PKK, but the party has denied any organic links to the group. The PKK’s terrorist designation in Ankara has led scores of HDP supporters, members, and officials to be arrested on terror-related charges.

“The politicians we support and instruct will be in power, and they will save us. This is their only expectation. We believe that our noble nation will not allow this,” Akar said, as the HDP is widely expected to support the (Kurdish Slaughtering Kemalist Party) opposition led by Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the People’s Republican Party (CHP) in the May 14 elections in a bid to oust longtime rival and sitting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The HDP, who are hailed as the kingmaker of these elections, have not yet officially voiced their support for Kilicdaroglu and the opposition, with the CHP leader taking on Erdogan at a time when the president’s popularity is at its lowest, according to many poll centers.

“Terrorists are directing the HDP and the HDP is leading the alliance … I am sure this will be understood and seen by our noble nation,” Akar added.

The HDP acted as an intermediary during the peace process between the Turkish state and the PKK between 2013 and 2015, marking short years of hope that the decades-long conflict that left tens of thousands dead might finally come to an end. The talks collapsed in 2015.

In 2021, Turkey’s chief prosecutor filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court seeking the dissolution of the HDP for alleged links to the PKK. The case is ongoing.

In response, the HDP announced that they will field their candidates within the Green Left Party (Yesil Sol) as a precautionary measure in case the Turkish government shuts them down.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/22042023

[Anthea]

Syria-Turkey fence-mending talks

Russia will host a new round of talks on Tuesday aimed at normalising ties between Turkey and Syria, Turkey's defence minister said

The talks, also involving regional power Iran, will be held in Moscow, Hulusi Akar said on Monday. They will be attended by the defence and intelligence chiefs of all four countries.

Russia is seeking to repair ties between Ankara and its ally Damascus, which were severed at the start of Syria's civil war in 2011.

"We are preparing for a meeting to be attended by defence ministers and intelligence chiefs" of Turkey, Russia, Syria and Iran, Akar said.

"Our aim is to solve the problems through negotiations and to bring peace to the region as soon as possible."

Ankara and Damascus have had few formal contacts since Turkey began backing rebel effort to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who once called Assad a "murderer," has opened up to the idea of holding a peace-building summit with the Syrian leader.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed Erdogan's efforts.

But Assad, whose country is slowly coming out of its regional isolation, has said he will only meet Erdogan if Turkey withdraws troops from northern Syria.

Erdogan says he needs the military presence as a security precaution against attacks on Turkey by Kurdish groups, which Ankara views as terrorists but which played a central role in the US-led campaign against Islamic State jihadists.

Earlier this month, diplomats from Iran, Russia, Turkey and Syria met in Moscow to pave the way for a foreign ministers' meeting.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... ks-Tuesday

Bringing peace to the region would help Erdogan win the election

[Anthea]

Ataturk or the Empire?

While Erdogan calls out the West for lies, propaganda, and attempts to put their hands in Turkish politics, Kilicdaroglu is out seeking for ways to follow Western footsteps and restore ties that fit the Ataturkian approach for a 'sectarian utopia' in modern-day Turkey

Welcome to Turkish Elections 101. This is not a basic breakdown, but a playout of a scenario of what could be Turkey after May 14 – if it’s the opposition’s future playground or Erdogan’s construction site of an Ottoman Empire 2.0.

The 2024 presidential elections are a pivotal point for Turkey’s Islamic image, given that Erdogan sews it in the social fabric while Kilicdaroglu seeks a more Ataturkian approach to secularism.

The elections were scheduled for June 18 but were pushed back to May 14, not at all coincidental. On May 14, 1950, the Democrat Party (DP) led by Adnan Menderes, ended the CHP’s 20-year reign under CHP founder, and the father of modern-day Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who was ushering in a Western-leaning Turkey in highly secular mold. Menderes swooped in with a populist tone and a social development plan that won the hearts of Turkey’s rural majority – much like Erdogan today.

Here’s the rundown

The two main opponents in the candidacy are the ruling party, the Justice and Development (AKP) led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the opposition party, Republican People's Party (CHP) represented by Kemal Kilicdaroglu. However, two other independent parties are running alongside which are Sinan Ogan of the Nationalist Party (MHP) and Muharrem Ince of the Homeland Party (MP).

The AKP was formed in 2001, by former Istanbul mayor Erdogan and foreign prime minister Abdullah Gul. The former frenemies-turned-foes fell from grace after Gul criticized the “Turkish-style presidential system” and likened a more American approach, so Gul left the party and Erdogan took over.

The CHP was established in 1923 by Ataturk who was mirroring Western laws related to economic, educational, and legal changes – and deeply entrenched in nationalistic ideologies under the ‘Six Arrows’: populism, republicanism, statism, secularism, revolution, and nationalism. These elements are the pillars of what is now the Kemalist movement.

With other parties running against Erdogan and his policies but with not enough traction to get to his level, the Table of Six (Altinin Masa) was formed and Kilicdaroglu was elected as the representative of the total opposition. The coalition chairs the CHP; Meral Aksener of the IYI (Good) Party; Ali Babacan of the DEVA (Democracy and Progress) party, Temel Karamollaoglu of the SP (Felicity) party; Ahmet Davutoglu of the GP (Future) party; and Gultekin Uysal of the DP (Democrat) Party.

"Despite the political crises, the pandemic, and the earthquake, they [the AK Party] are leading the polls," said Prof. Dr. Emre Erdogan, political scientist and head of the International Relations Department at Istanbul Bilgi University, in an interview with Al Mayadeen English.

Dangerous liaisons with the West

Briefly weighing in the balance first and foremost is crucial to better understand the chances of winning and what each candidate serves for the external forces aka the West and the US.

Erdogan is a populist, plainly put. His anti-elitist rhetoric plays well on the hearts of ‘the people’ which brands him their caretaker, as a populist speaks ‘for the people’ and on behalf of them. His charisma serves as a fortifying factor in getting his message across ‘the people’ who view him as a paternalistic figure – especially those in the rural areas of Turkey with a conservative background with strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Kilicdaroglu, on the other hand, epitomizes the nationalist character – representing the aristocracy and thus the elite. His weak aura which lacks charisma fails to capture the majority conservative populace of Turkey but grabs the attention of the urban community’s desire to revive Ataturk’s dream of a Westernized Turkiye. He thus symbolizes a self-serving chaser of pre-May 14 dreams stopped by the rise of Erdogan and his neo-caudillismo (leadership of a strongman) approach to internal politics.

As for handling external forces, the threshold of threat and of cordiality differs among both the AKP and CHP leaders.

Regarding NATO and taking into consideration Finland’s recent accession into the organization through Erdogan’s approval, Sweden remains an outcast, especially after its Quran-burning campaign and Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan’s anti-Muslim provocations. Erdogan’s refusal to allow Sweden to enter NATO, as a result, will only serve as a chance for Kilicdaroglu to win Europe over if he takes over the elections – by making sure all obstacles are removed to guarantee Sweden’s accession.

That being said, Erdogan has held a reserved stance against Europe in light of his ties with Russia and the war in Ukraine. The CHP takes a pro-Europe view principally due to the ambition to build Ataturk’s Turkey once again and hold hands with the West. That doesn’t quite sit well with the AKP, which values the nation’s dependence on Russia for gas and energy and thus handles it with care after the West imposed draconian sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine.

While Erdogan is calling the US out for their bluff and attempts to put their hands in Turkish politics, Kilicdaroglu is out seeking for ways to follow in American footsteps and restore ties that fit the Ataturkian approach for a sectarian utopia in modern-day Turkey.

People think that the government will be totally pro-European. No, it won't be. There are some anti-European members of the Table of Six," said Prof. Dr. Erdogan, adding that members "such as Saadet partisi, are totally very religious and they are totally anti-western. And there is no consensus on the full membership to the EU."

Playing under a house of cards

To increase voter turnout and win over the conservative majority, Kilicdaroglu has been promoting the term "helallesme" in his campaign which in Turkish means to be forgiven for mistakes or wrongdoings, mainly used in religious contexts. In his campaign video in 2021, as he was preparing for the elections, he asks the audience for "helallesme” in order “to heal Turkey's wounds" as he attempts to play on the emotional yet nationalistic feelings of the voter. He has also attempted at playing the hijab card by encouraging women to wear headscarves in public places in Turkey – a move he has long worked against.

Current events in Turkey, such as the skyrocketing inflation and the February 6 devastating earthquakes, played and continue to play a significant and decisive role in Erdogan’s fate as Turkey’s reigning president dreaming of a Neo-Ottoman Empire.

In the game of who gets to be president, Kilicdaroglu labels Erdogan a fraud while Erdogan continuously blames the CHP party for the 2013 protests and 2016 failed coup which he says were orchestrated hand-in-hand with the West.

Although Erdogan's response to the earthquake aftermath and the economic collapse have planted frustration in his voters, they remain committed to his path and according to Berk Esen, professor at Sabanci University to the Financial Times, it is additionally because “the opposition has not created an appealing, credible alternative.”

"You know, we had the earthquakes and its estimated damage is about $100 billion and estimated expenses, about 30 billion US dollars - money which Turkey doesn't have," said Prof. Dr. Erdogan.

However, having the talent to appeal to the majority’s will alongside his unshakeable religious ideology, Erdogan still scores a win internally and by establishing cordial ties with superpowers, Iran and Russia, is considered a major victory for him regionally and in drawing his lines in the soil of Syria.

Even on the topic of Syria, upon being asked about how this affects the elections, Prof. Dr. Erdogan stated that the President sold the refugee matter to his supporters by using the 'Kardeslik' card, meaning that he called them brothers and sisters and that "we need to help, etc... and the AK party they accepted. Indeed, the opposition had a harsher position. Always."

The May 14 elections will decide Turkey’s fate – it will either become a test of Erdogan’s resilience and intention to keep the country on its feet or it will bring forth a new era of secular and Europeanized Turkey that conforms to the wants of the West and brushes off the needs of the Turkish majority.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... the-empire

[Anthea]

People detained in 21 cities

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Ahead of the Turkish general and presidential elections on May 14, at least 110 people have been arrested on Tuesday, including members of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and its deputy co-chair, Özlem Gündüz

The HDP said in a statement that the police raids were carried out in the Diyarbakir (Amed) province and mostly targeted the HDP and organizations including Mezopotamya News Agency (MA), Yeni Yaşam newspaper, and the Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD).

“The operations have spread to 21 cities in Turkey, while dozens of people, including journalists, politicians, lawyers, artists, and activists have been detained. The charges against the detainees are still unclear due to a confidentiality order on the investigation,” the HDP said in a statement.

Among the detained included journalists Ferhat Çelik, owner of the Mezopotamya News Agency (MA), Abdurrahman Gök, an editor at the agency, Osman Akın, managing editor of the daily Yeni Yaşam newspaper, and Kadri Esen, the publisher of Xwebûn newspaper, the only Kurdish newspaper in Turkey.

“The operation is against the elections and the will of the people. It is a clear intimidation and threat to society and to its political preferences,” the HDP said.

“It is not a coincidence that the people targeted were lawyers, who will protect the ballot boxes and fight against unlawfulness; journalists, who will inform the public, and politicians who are fighting the AKP (Justice and Development Party).”

The arrests are seen as a move to further suppress the Kurdish vote, ahead of the Turkish elections that will take place on May 14, 2023.

The Kurds in Turkey are expected to play a kingmaker role in the election of the future Turkish president, with both the opposition and the Turkish ruling parties trying to attract the Kurdish vote.

The HDP is planning to support the Turkish opposition and not field a presidential candidate in the elections, which could help the Kemalist-led opposition to win the elections.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... tions:-HDP

[Anthea]

pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP)

Kurds have been enslaved for 100 years

Where is the Kurdistan Freedom Party ???

The HDP appears to be more of a Kurdish suppression party than a Pro Kurdish Party

HDP did nothing to save Hasankeyf

HDP did nothing to Free Ocalan apart from a few small protests

Since HDP's inception the Kurds have gone from a proud race with lots of international support, fighting for their homeland, to submissive minority grovelling for a few extra rights

Where the respect for all those who gave their lives for freedom

Kurds should unit behind a KURDISH FREEDOM PARTY

The PKK should be removed from the list of terrorist organizations and become the ARMY OF NORTHERN KURDISTAN

Now the HDP is planning to support the Turkish, Kurd hating, Kemalist opposition party

WHERE IS KURDISH PRIDE ???

[Anthea]

Stop pre-election crackdown on Kurds
Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Eighteen International organizations, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) demand Turkey to release Kurdish journalists, political party officials, and lawyers, who were arrested in police raids on Thursday

The organizations called on Turkish authorities to "stop the systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists, media workers, media outlets, lawyers, and Kurdish political party officials.”

“We reiterate the need for a free and pluralistic media atmosphere in the run up to the elections that will be held on May 14, 2023,” the organizations said.

On Thursday, at least 128 people, mostly pro-Kurdish journalists, lawyers, rights defenders, political activists and artists in 20 provinces, were arrested.

The organizations said the arrests “represent another step in the systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish media and political opposition in the country.”

Also in late March, dozens of Kurdish officials of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) were arrested.

In anticipation of a ruling by Turkey's Constitutional Court to ban the country's second largest pro-Kurdish opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), the party has changed its name for the upcoming elections to the Green Left Party.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... anizations

[Anthea]

PKK founded Green Left Party

In a televised interview on Tuesday, the Turkish interior minister slammed the Green Left Party (Yesil Sol) for having ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), hours after Turkish police arrested over 100 pro-Kurdish journalists, politicians and activists for alleged ties to the group

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, appeared as a guest on a program of the pro-government 24 TV, where he talked about the Green Left Party’s ties to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

“The Green Left Party is founded after instructions from Qandil itself, in order to be an alternative party to HDP,” he said. He referred to the Qandil mountains in the neighboring Kurdistan Region where PKK bases are located. The area has also been subjected to sporadic bombing by Turkish forces.

The comments from the Turkish minister came hours after Turkish police arrested at least 128 people for alleged ties with the PKK, which Ankara considers a terrorist group.

“If we look at the candidate lists of the said party, includes terrorists from the mountain [Qandil],” said Soylu, implying that the candidates of the Green Left were former PKK militants who want to become members of the parliament.

However, in order for a party to be established in Turkey, it requires approval from the ministry of interior, as well as a signature from the minister himself.

HDP is a pro-Kurdish leftist party that includes members of different backgrounds in Turkey. They mainly advocate for Kurdish rights, and the rights of the ethnic, religious and other minorities in the country.

HDP’s stance as opposition has attracted the ire of the Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led government, being subjected to several raids and arrests in the past few days. HDP’s former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag have been jailed since 2016 for alleged terror crimes.

However, HDP itself is facing the threat of being closed down as the Turkish prosecutor’s office filed a case against the party at the Turkish constitutional court for its alleged ties to the PKK. HDP refused to have a defense in the hearing of the case on April 11.

HDP will contest the elections as the Green Left Party, and they are viewed as the decisive factor in the elections. The party also expressed implicit support for the opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu to unseat current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/26042023

[Anthea]

West told opposition dethrone Erdogan

With a much-heated and awaited Turkish presidential election next month, the Interior Minister accuses America and Europe of attempting to depose the Turkish President from power

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the United States and Europe have assigned the Turkish opposition to remove the country’s current President Tayyip Erdogan from power.

"America and Europe gave them instructions to depose Tayyip Erdogan, to remove Tayyip Erdogan from office," The Star newspaper quoted him as saying.

"Why Tayyip Erdogan? Because America does not want him [at his current post], the West does not want him [to be the president of Turkey]. But it does not matter to us. We are following the will of our people," he added.

This comes as the Turkish elections are anticipated to be the most polarized this year, determining the fate of 85 million citizens, and are supposed to be a litmus test for Erdogan's job performance. This will mark the second election since Turkey switched from a parliamentary to a presidential system following a 2017 referendum that granted him broad new powers.

During a press conference at the Turkish Supreme Election Commission’s HQ in Ankara, the head of the country's High Election Board (YSK), Ahmet Yener, recently said the total number of registered voters expected to partake in the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections has amounted to a total of 64,113,941 votes; 60,697,843 are on Turkish mainland, and the rest are in the diaspora.

The total number of ballot boxes inside the country amount to a total of 191,884, and another 5,040 are outside the country.

In regard to the Turkish citizens who became eligible to vote (i.e. turned 18) since the last elections, Yener noted that 4,904,672 new voters will be participating in the elections for the first time (277,646 of which are in the diaspora) and 47,523 others will be participating in the elections in the event of a second round of presidential elections (2,435 of which are in the diaspora).

Also, about 133,000 voters who reside in the areas destroyed by the February earthquake have transferred their registrations to other states.

Elderly voters (those above the age of 70) amount to a total of 3,180,802 inside the country.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... erdogan:-m

The US has a reputation for bringing about regime changes in countries, causing death and destruction as they have in Ukraine and countless other countries before, never forget what the US did to Libya with it's lies

[Anthea]

Early Voting Begins

On Thursday, Turkish citizens living abroad started to cast their ballots for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled on May 14 at Türkiye's airports and border gates

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking a new five-year term against his main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who is running as the presidential candidate for an alliance of opposition parties.

Recent polls suggest it will be a tight race between the two major candidates, who are both campaigning to improve the quality of life for many Turks affected by the recent economic downturn.

If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, a second round will be held on May 28.

More than 3 million Turkish voters residing outside of the country have begun casting their votes for Türkiye’s presidential and parliamentary elections at customs gates and ballot boxes set up in 73 countries.

The 3.4 million eligible voters living abroad are of great importance to both candidates. In addition to the ones set up at embassies and consulates in 73 countries, 4,671 ballot boxes have also been placed at airports and border gates around the country.

The international terminal at Istanbul Airport, Türkiye's main point of entry, is among the hotspots filled with citizens living abroad casting their early ballots set up at the arrival and departure floors.

Abdullah and Hamide Gisne, a Turkish couple coming from France, were among the early voters. "The election is very important for Türkiye and for the country's economy," Hamide said.

Turkiye | Losses associated with last month's earthquakes amount to $100 billion, according to an estimate by the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and the government. pic.twitter.com/joTScRHdMS
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 8, 2023

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Ear ... -0009.html