Jailed HDP co-chair Demirtaş calls for cooperation among opposition alliances
Jailed HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş has called for cooperation among opposition alliances to “restore the country.” He included Labor and Freedom Alliance, Nation Alliance, Socialist Power Union, and main opposition Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in his call.
Duvar English
Former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who is in Edirne F Type Prison, made a written statement regarding cooperation between the opposition alliances. In his Twitter flood, he touched upon the work carried out after the Feb. 6-dated major earthquakes.
Demirtaş said, "People are in pain, panic and despair. No one knows what their future will be. The government is worried about its seat. The opposition is in a justified rush to help the people.”
He said that even though there are “a thousand solutions,” the opposition should focus on two main issues. Firstly, containers, food, cleaning supplies, qualified and sufficient number of toilets and showers should be provided to everyone in the quake-zone.
Second, he said, the elections should be held immediately to “get rid of these gangs” by referring to the ruling coalition between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
He later call for cooperation among Labor and Freedom Alliance (“Emek ve Özgürlük İttifakı”), Nation Alliance (“Millet İttifakı”), Socialist Power Union (“Sosyalist Güç Birliği”), and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The Labor and Freedom Alliance includes the HDP, Workers’ Party (TİP), Labor Party (EMEP), Social Freedom Party (TÖP), Labor Movement Party (EHP), and Socialist Assemblies Federation (SMF).
The Nation Alliance on the other hand includes the CHP, İYİ (Good) Party, Felicity Party (SP), the Democratic Party (DP), DEVA Party, and Future Party.
The Left Party (SOL), Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), Communist Movement of Turkey (TKH) and Revolutionary Movement (DH) are part of the Socialist Power Union.
On Jan. 7, HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan said that HDP will nominate its own candidate for the general elections normally scheduled for June 2023. Until today, no cooperation has been established between the second biggest opposition HDP and the main opposition CHP.