At a press conference at the HDP Headquarters in Ankara, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan announced the decisions taken at the Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting of her party yesterday.

Doğan also shared the decisions of the MYK regarding the local elections and announced the 27 districts in western cities where they will field candidates: "Ceyhan, Seyhan and Yüreğir districts of Adana; Kepez district of Antalya; Akdeniz, Toroslar and Tarsus districts of Mersin; Esenyurt, Sancaktepe, Adalar and Sultanbeyli districts of Istanbul; Didim, Efeler, Germencik and Söke districts of Aydın; Cihanbeyli and Kulu districts of Konya; Dilovası district of Kocaeli; Torbalı, Bayraklı and Menemen districts of İzmir; Gölmarmara, Turgutlu and Yunus Emre districts of Manisa; Gökçeada district of Çanakkale; Çorlu and Çerkezköy districts of Tekirdağ."

Doğan aded that there will be other provinces and districts where candidates will be nominated.

Emphasising that they aspire to govern cities with the "Urban Consensus" method, Doğan said: "We call out to those who create cities, we call out to women, we call out to young people, we call out to labourers, we call out to students, disabled people, workers; we call out to everyone who wants to create democratic, ecological cities together for the right to the city. In fact, urban consensus is a call. It is a call upon civil society organisations, chambers, bar associations, democratic mass organisations, in other words, to all social and political dynamics and all social tissues that make up a city. We say 'Let's repair, improve and build our cities together'. We have been saying ‘let's liberate the wounded cities’ for years. This is also an effort to spread our understanding of local governments and democratic local governments to all social layers and segments. We invite everyone who says 'the city is mine' to win the city together with urban consensus."

Stating that the Urban Consensus could be "an opportunity for livable, democratic, ecological, free cities and new meetings", Doğan said that the Kurdish question, the isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and the lawsuits against party members remain on the agenda ahead of the local elections. "We are going through an unsolved democracy issue. Therefore, for the DEM Party, local elections are not only about electing a municipality,” she added.

"With new meetings, we can meet at a democracy crossroads by growing stronger and multiplying," Doğan said and continued, "Urban consensus is also a social contract for us. Urban consensus is the harbinger of a new era in which people who feel oppressed under the control of the centre and do not want to be oppressed, determine their own destiny, and in which the will of the people is reflected to local democracy through strong cities. Through urban consensus, we want to be a democratic breath of fresh air all over Turkey."

Noting that the candidate nomination application period has been extended once again, Doğan said, "We had previously extended the deadline until 20 December, now we are extending it for another 5 days. We appeal once again; let's win together and let the people govern our cities with urban consensus."

Denying the news that the DEM Party would support the CHP, Doğan said: "Except for the information and statements announced by the political party and made by the relevant committees, all other news are speculative and aimed at molding perception. When we say that the peoples will win through urban consensus, we are not actually making a appeal by pointing to any political party. Our appeal here should not be understood as such. We are calling for a social dynamic that transcends political parties."