Talking to ANF, Mustafa Karasu, Member of the Executive Council of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) said that the decision to call early election carries a great risk and that the possibility of losing power makes the AKP-MHP government even more aggressive.

The 24 June elections, said Karasu, should be considered as a further step on the democracy struggle and not as a change of power.

For this reason, Karasu stated that it is crucial for the HDP to overcome the threshold.

What are the main reasons prompting the AKP-MHP to call for early elections on 24 June?

The AKP-MHP fascist alliance decided to call early elections for very serious economic, political, diplomatic and social reasons.

Let’s examine these reasons one by one. Economy.

We know Turkey's economy has long been going from bad to worse. Turkey had survived previous crises thanks to money coming from Qatar and South Kurdistan. However, this time, the economic crisis Turkey faces cannot be solved by Qatar and South Kurdistan. Turkey’s war policies inside and outside of the country have triggered the economic crisis; war politics and considering everyone as enemy negatively affected exports. It has become impossible to export, especially to the Middle East.

War expenditure also contributes to the economic crisis?

Of course, the main determinant of the economic crisis is the war economy. Especially in recent years a violent war against the Kurdish people's freedom struggle has been launched and it’s still on. The Turkish state is using all resources for this war. The economic burden was aggravated by the war against Afrin. Continuous air attacks are being conducted. This is all about money. Many weapons and ammunition are also bought from the outside. A significant part of the intelligent war technology is bought from abroad.

War economy is an important factor of the crisis. Is war policy itself one of the reasons for calling early elections?

Definitively. War policies is a main reason for early elections. The AKP-MHP alliance is still saying, ‘We’ll go to Manbij, Kobanê, Qamishlo, Derik, we will conquer them and expel the YPG-YPJ.

The same they are saying referring to Bashûr (South) Kurdistan: we’ll enter Qandil. They say all this to complete the Kurdish genocide.

But these war policies did not get all the support they were hoping for. Although the AKP-MHP government has occupied Afrin, it is clear that they did not receive the support they wished to.

Erdoğan saw the elections as a survival issue, what will they do if they win?

It is obvious that the 24 June election will be a turning point. Together with these elections, the presidential system will be passed.

AKP and the MHP are designing a new system for Turkey. No doubt the dictatorship will go down hard on Kurdish people, democratic forces, all different ethnic and religious communities. They want to establish a new nationalist-religious system. This will be a new beginning for Erdogan.

Is it not a big gambling?

It is. it is a gamble for Erdoğan. In the past, he was in power with 40 to 42 percent. If he does not get 50 percent now, he will not be in power.

Is there the possibility that he loses?

Yes, he could lose this election. As a matter of fact, after the decision to convene early elections, the reactions and developments among the people are showing that it won’t be so easy for him to win.

Which alliances are on the field to counter the fascist alliance?

There are two alliances:

* There is the Nation Alliance, made up of the bourgeois class.

* There is the people and the democratic forces alliance.

We can see two attitudes towards these elections: on the one hand there is the passive attitude (why going to the poll, election won’t change anything) and the super positive attitude (on 24 June everything will change). What would be the right approach to have?

Democracy is achieved as a result of years of struggle. Democratization is a step-by-step accumulation process and in the end the accumulation will give way to the establishment of democracy.

Democratic revolutions also develop through this kind of struggle. This election is also a struggle for democracy. Taking the AKP-MHP fascism out of power would be an important step in the struggle for democracy. The expulsion of the fascist power opens the way to democratization.

It is not correct to stay away from the elections saying that they won’t change anything. This means to stay away from the struggle.

It is true to say that to get rid of the AKP-MHP fascism will be an important step towards changing. For this it is important to strike a blow to the AKP-MHP fascism in the elections.

Clearly they won’t easily step down, attacks will come. The people need to prevent them with organized sensitivity.

On the other hand, the HDP needs to overcome the threshold in order to be able to work. This is possible. The struggle for democracy will pass for this election, no doubt. Erdogan is trying to set up a new system, a nationalist-religious system. Should he succeed things will be very bad for Kurds, Alevis, all nations and identities. This is why this election is important: it is an opportunity to prevent this new system from being established. This election then is an important step in the direction of democracy.