HDP Co-president Demirtaş spoke in the French city of Marseilles last night, saying that votes cast in Europe will be crucial to pass the ten per cent threshold. Demirtaş said the HDP was the party of the oppressed and exploited and that it would call the AKP to account.

The event in Marseilles was also attended by HDP Muş candidate Mensur Işık and Erzurum candidate Zahir Uzun.

Alawite massacre condemned

Around 5,000 people, Kurds, Turks, Alevis, Syriacs and Armenians, attended the event. Ali Rıza Akyol from the Alevi Culture Centre in the city condemned the recent massacre of Alawites carried out in Syria by the Al Nusra Front. Akyol said he was proud that Alevis would be voting for the HDP on 7 June and the imam of the Sheikh Said mosque said Moslems who voted for fake Moslems like the AKP would be committing a sin.

Demirtaş: We must persuade the undecided

HDP Co-president Demirtaş thanked the people living in Marseilles for  their support during the Presidential elections. He addressed the packed hall, saying: “This will be a definitive election. At every opportunity the undecided must be persuaded. Every vote counts. The principles of our party must be explained. Voters in Europe have a determining role to play if we are to break through the 10% threshold.”

'We will keep our promise to the people'

Demirtaş said the AKP had established a ‘dictatorship of fear and tyranny’, not even allowing workers to celebrate May Day. "They are frightened of Kurds having education in the mother tongue. They are scared of releasing sick prisoners. We will exceed the threshold and become a permanent source of fear for the AKP,” he said.

Demirtaş said the HDP was the party of the oppressed and exploited adding that they had promised the people to call the AKP to account.  

The audience chanted "We are joining the HDP, we are going to parliament" and "Long live President Apo".