An HDP committee headed by co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş continue their visits to German political parties and democratic groups in Germany’s capital Berlin.

Amed Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Gültan Kışanak, HDP Foreign Affair Chair and Bingöl MP Hişyar Özsoy and HDP Europe representative Eyüp Doru are also taking part in the committee.

The topics in the visits have been the war in Rojava and Northern Kurdistan, the problems asylum seekers face and Turkey-EU relations, on which the committee has voiced criticisms and suggestions.

The committee arrived in the German capital the previous day and started their intense 2-day long program yesterday.

The HDP committee first met with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Foreign and Security Policies Advisor Christoph Heusgen. They have also held meetings with CDU/CSU Foreign Relations Representative Jurgen Hardt and Andreas Nick. The delegation later continued their visits with the Co-chair of the Green Party Cem Özdemir and Federal German Parliament Chair Norbert Lammer.

DEMİRTAŞ SPOKE IN PANEL DISCUSSION

Demirtaş and the committee met with representatives from several media outlets as well. Concluding the program of the first day, Demirtaş attended the Hertie School of Governance University’s panel discussion as a speaker. The panel was moderated in English by Dilek Kurban and around 250 people attended, including ambassadors, politicians, scientists and individuals from different groups.

Demirtaş spoke in the panel discussion titled “Turkey-Germany Relations After the EU Refugee Crisis” and said, “What is Germany saying exactly on the reality of war that has forced people to leave their country, what is the EU saying?” HDP co-chair expressed that there had been a negotiation for refugees but there were no projects presented on how to end the war in Syria or the clashes in Turkey.

Demirtaş stated that the EU had conducted an unscrupulous negotiation with Turkey and turned the refugees into a point of negotiation like slaves and that they expected a concrete stance from the EU regarding the war.

KIŞANAK: WE TALKED ABOUT MASSACRES

Amed Metropolitan Municipality co-mayor Gülten Kışanak met with former Hannover Municipality mayor and honorary head of USLRRE Herbert Schmalstieg and Vice Secretary General of Union of Social Democrat Municipalities Peter Hamon.

Kışanak said they had given information on the genocidal massacres in Northern Kurdistan and that both parties expressed their feelings of solidarity. Kışanak also expressed that the Union of Social Democrat Municipalities will put the massacres in Kurdistan on their agenda and that they will issue a call for sensibility.

MEETING WITH THE VICE CHANCELLOR

The committee will meet with Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank Walter Seinmeier, followed by a meeting with Vice Chancellor and Social Democrat Party chair Sigmar Gabriel.

The committee is expected to meet with the Green Party Federal Parliament Deputy Chairperson Claudia Roth as well. Co-chair Demirtaş is expected to give a speech in the group meeting of the Left Party in the parliament.