Speaking during the weekly party group meeting in parliament, HDP Co-President Selahattin Demirtaş said that citizens formed the basis of parliaments and political representation. Demirtaş stated that they would always defend the will of the people, and discuss other alternatives if HDP parliamentarians were arrested and prosecuted.

Demirtaş said that the AKP government was hiring unprecedented numbers of police officers out of its fear of democratic protests, but the recent May Day celebrations showed that citizens were resisting the establishment of an AKP dictatorship in Turkey.

KİLİS

Regarding the more than 60 rocket attacks that have recently claimed the lives of more than 20 civilians in Kilis, Demirtaş criticized the AKP government’s reluctance to describe them as ISIS attacks and take appropriate action in response. Demirtaş noted that through such attacks, groups such as Ahrar al-Sham, Al Nusra and ISIS were warning the AKP so that it does not stop supporting them, and recalled the government hypocrisy as it describes the PYD as ‘fierce terrorists’ and ISIS as ‘a group of angry children.’

He said that the AKP’s authoritarian and anti-democratic policies aim to create a new presidential regime that is not secular.

'WE ARE READY TO SACRIFICE OUR LIVES'

Demirtaş stated that HDP parliamentarians are ready to sacrifice their lives so that future generations can live freely and peacefully, and described the current process as a process of intervention that began on June 7 when the AKP failed get enough votes in order to form a single-party government.

'THEY ARE LYING IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE INTERVENTION PROCESS'

Selahattin Demirtaş emphasized that Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan lacked the intellectual capacity to govern, and was carrying out an intervention on June 7 (election) in order to continue his authoritarian rule. Demirtaş said that the AKP representatives were lifting the immunity of HDP parliamentarians because they are the only ones standing in the way of Erdoğan’s dictatorship, and were making false statements such as the allegation regarding Faysal Sarıyıldız’s possession of guns in order to reach their dirty goals.

'THE PKK DID NOT LOSE'

Demirtaş stated that the state-controlled media was lying about the ongoing operations, and the PKK was not losing power or influence because of the state forces’ attacks. The HDP Co-President noted that the PKK’s sphere of influence expanded after each Turkish state operation and massacre, and called upon the Turkish public to raise its voice against the AKP policies of war and destruction.

'WE WILL NEVER ALLOW'

Selahattin Demirtaş said that the alliance of the AKP, CHP and MHP was working together against the HDP and trying to establish Erdoğan’s dictatorship, but the HDP would not stay silent nor allow the AKP controlled judiciary and police force to arrest parliamentarians smoothly. Demirtaş noted that they were elected parliamentarians just like the ones from the other 3 parties, and the prosecution of HDP parliamentarians would translate as the expulsion of Kurdish people from Turkish politics.

'WE HAVE OPTIONS; WE WILL DO WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT US TO DO'

HDP Co-President Selahattin Demirtaş stated that they would always defend the will of the people, and discuss the formation of alternative parliaments if HDP parliamentarians were arrested and prosecuted. Demirtaş said that citizens formed the basis of parliaments and they could form multiple parliaments if they wanted. Lastly, Demirtaş called upon everyone to support the HDP and invited CHP parliamentarians to fight against the ongoing AKP intervention.