The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has presented its highly anticipated roadmap with strategic guidelines against the authoritarian-autocratic state led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The individual steps of this roadmap are summarized in a nine-point plan, which was presented by co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar in Istanbul.

In the roadmap, the HDP advocates a democratic start and calls on all social groups to join forces. Turkey is sliding into what is arguably the greatest crisis in its recent history, says the report and continues:  “The social, political and economic tensions that have a firm grip on the whole country are further exacerbated by the corona pandemic. – said the HDP - The policies of the Erdoğan government only lead to further destabilization and an increase in poverty, unemployment and oppression of the population.”

To sustainably promote democratic development in Turkey, a new democratic policy approach is required, according to the HDP.

“We won't give in. We are aware that this crisis also offers peoples the opportunity to determine their own future as long as we stand shoulder to shoulder and fight together. If we succeed in uniting our will and expanding our struggle, we will be able to free ourselves from the crisis,” said the HDP strategic plan.

The HDP sees that the material and ideal opportunities created by the society are only used to satisfy the greed for profit of an insatiable minority which is actually the source of the crisis. The presidential system, through which Erdoğan has given himself greater powers than any elected head of state in Turkey's history, is the main cause of the political crisis and conflict.

The HDP called “on all democratic forces and the social opposition in Turkey to mitigate this situation by rebuilding the democratic alliance that our peoples have built up ‘bottom up’ on an expanded social and political basis."

The nine points in the strategic plan of the HDP are as follows:

1-Together for justice and law: human rights, democracy and the rule of law, based on universal universal legal principles and justice, impartial and independent judiciary, the right to freedom, equality and a fair trial;

In addition to the aforementioned fundamental rights to freedom and equality, the end of violations of children's rights, women's rights, workers' rights, refugee rights, the right to peace and environmental rights guaranteed by international conventions; withdraw existing reservations about conventions and give them constitutional status;

2-Together for a democratic constitution: protection and strengthening of social unity on the basis of an equal and free citizenship; a democratic constitution in which all people are equal before the law, based on universal fundamental rights and freedoms and respecting ethnic, religious and cultural differences;

In its constitution, the State has to assume to treat all religions and identities neutrally and to guarantee the religious freedom of the citizens;

3-Together for democracy: separation of powers within the central government; building a social-democratic republic based on a pluralistic, libertarian and democratic parliamentary government based on participatory democracy at local and regional level and the decentralization of decision-making powers;

4-Together for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question: A consensus approach to social reconciliation that is based on the recognition of the existence and rights of the Kurdish people as well as all oppressed and stigmatized groups and cultures and is based on dialogue and negotiation;

5- End all wars: A peace-oriented foreign policy working for fair and peaceful solutions to international conflicts, prioritizing diplomacy and negotiations between peoples, dialogue and negotiations between states, and ending all types of military interventions, wars and conflicts;

6-Together for work and food: an economic development policy that guarantees the basic social and economic needs of all citizens; prevents the consequences of the economic crisis from being cast on the shoulders of the working class and in favour of developing effective forms of fighting unemployment, poverty and social measures; an economy which is not focused on growth, profit or looting but is based on nature and people.

7-Together for women: legal provisions to end all forms of violence against women who are struggling to free themselves from the cycle of social, political and economic insecurity; measures to effectively implement the principles of equality and freedom for women;

8-Together for young people: paving the way for young people to freely determine their future; political and administrative regulations that give young people a say and freedom of choice in the areas of education, employment, culture and everyday life; Autonomous universities that represent these principles and stand for an understanding of scientific, free, creative and innovative education in the mother tongue, whose system is based on questioning, analysis, research, practice and experience;

9-Together for nature and life: A socio-political mind-set with the aim of achieving a democratic-ecological society based on the defense of the habitat of nature and animals against the capitalist yield and for an ecological system at all levels of social and economic development plans which sees democratic future as a key factor.