"Isolation is a crime against humanity and must be lifted. Like every human being in prisons, like every prisoner, Mr. Öcalan must be granted his rights. This right of visit is denied and thus Turkey’s own law is not complied with.”
HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan was in Hınıs, Erzurum, as part of the HDP election campaign activities.
Buldan told people: “Our municipality was usurped in Hınıs as in many other places. Hınıs Municipality was assigned to a State-appointed trustee, but like everywhere else, the people of Hınıs will send the trustee back to Ankara on 31 March.”
The HDP co-chair added: “The trustee has charged Hınıs Municipality. When they arrived, there was no debt in Hınıs Municipality, but when we look at the reports of the Court of Accounts, the Municipality of Hınıs has a total of 9 trillion debts.”
They force people to meetings
Speaking about her visit to Hakkari on Monday, Buldan said; “We saw the AKP meetings in Şırnak and Hakkari. Nobody believes their lies anymore. They know that the people of Hakkari, Sirnak will not go to their rallies. So they carried dozens of buses from outside. They are forced to bring people from other cities to their rallies. We saw on social media how they brought buses to Hakkari.”
In Hakkari, said Buldan, “Tayyip Erdogan is once again telling the same lies, insults, slander. I listened to his speech in Hakkari. Same lie. He said that 'women in Istanbul booed the prayer’. We watched the videos. The women were in fact attacked by the security forces.”
Indeed, said Buldan “in Hakkari, they forbade prayers in Kurdish. Today Kurds do not even have the right to worship in their own language. Because Mr. Tayyip and the AKP banned the Kurdish people from worshipping in their own language.”
HDP is the party for the future
HDP, said Buldan, “is the party for the future of Turkey, for peace, for democratic politics, for the future of women and young people.”
Isolation and hunger strikes
Reminding that HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven has been on hunger strike for 125 days, Buldan said: “Not only is Leyla Güven on hunger strike, but hundreds are fasting in prisons and outside, in Europe, Kurdistan and Canada. These friends have only one demand: end isolation. Isolation is a crime against humanity and must be lifted. Like every human being in prisons, like every prisoner, Mr. Öcalan must be granted his rights. This right of visit is denied and thus Turkey’s own law is not complied with.”
Buldan added: “We want to underline once again that ending the isolation is an important step for the future of Turkey, for peace in Turkey. The situation of our friends on hunger strike is becoming more and more critical. We are informed that those who are on hunger strike are increasingly suffering from ear and sight problems. Isolation should end as soon as possible in order to avoid losing lives. The Ministry of Justice has to implement the laws it has issued.”
31 March local elections
Talking about the 31 March local elections, Buldan said: “These elections are very important for Turkey's future. They are also important for Kurds and Turks. They are important for everyone living in this country. On 31 March we will witness success in Erzurum and especially in Hınıs, Tekman, Karaçoban and Karayazı. We know that with your determination we will succeed.”
