Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan held a press conference at the headquarters of her party in Ankara and evaluated the developments on the agenda. Ayşegül Doğan started her speech by commemorating journalist Celal Başlangıç, who lost his life, and touched upon the agenda of the Central Executive Committee (MYK) of her party. Ayşegül Doğan pointed out that Istanbul was blockaded during the 1 May rally and dozens of people who participated in the 1 May rally were detained and arrested.

NEW ELECTIONS IN HİLVAN

Noting that re-elections will be held in Hilvan district of Urfa on 2 June, Ayşegül Doğan said: "We started the election campaign 2 days ago. I would like to remind those who say that the elections were held under democratic and fair conditions about the process in Hilvan. On the night of 31 March, the ballot papers were burnt in Hilvan in the first place. Then the polling officers were beaten and an investigation was initiated by the Hilvan Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. One of the 7 people arrested as part of the investigation was a member of AKP's district election board. Despite all this, the data flow stopped for a while due to the ballot papers being burnt and the polling officers being beaten. The DEM Party won the elections in Hilvan with a difference of 521 votes. But the election we won is being repeated. Hilvan is now wanted to be taken from the DEM Party by conspiracy. We call on all the residents of Hilvan to claim their rights and will, which are wanted to be usurped, in the strongest way by increasing the 521 vote difference on 2 June."

ATTACK ON PARTY BUILDING IN BİRECİK

Drawing attention to the attacks on the party building in Birecik district of Urfa, Ayşegül Doğan said, "In the meantime, those who turned a blind eye to the usurpation of rights in Hilvan remain silent in the face of the armed attack on our Birecik district building. As I said at the beginning, the ones responsible for the possible incidents in Birecik are those who turn a blind eye to all these incidents, those who remain spectators, those who do not raise a voice and those who are partners."

NEW CONSTITUTION

Ayşegül Doğan continued: "On the one hand, constitutional debates continue. We are talking about a party tradition that has been struggling for a civilian constitution, a democratic constitution and a new constitution for decades. But is it enough for the constitution to be civil only? No, it is not. It must also be new and democratic. The constitution must be a social contract. Our party attaches great importance to the ways and methods to be used for a new and democratic civilian constitution in order for it to be based on a social consensus and to have the quality of a social contract. For the constitution to be truly new, it must show that it completely renounces the old. One of the most important indicators of this is the Kobanê Conspiracy Trial to be held on 16 May. Therefore, the decision of the Kobanê Conspiracy Trial to be held on 16 May will be important. Once again, we call for public sensitivity.”

Doğan concluded: “Discussions on normalisation and détente in politics was one of the agendas of our Central Executive Board (MYK). There can be no real and genuine normalisation or détente by excluding the oppressed peoples, different identities, languages and beliefs living in Turkey."