Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs, Pervin Buldan and Sezai Temelli, attended the event organised in Ankara to present the MP candidates for June 24 elections.

Buldan begun her speech by saluting “hostage presidential candidate, Selahattin Demirtaş. We will free him from Edirne prison”, she said.

Addressing the government, a day after the Court ruled against Demirtaş release, Buldan said: “If you trust yourself, let him free”.

Buldan stressed that the June 24 election provides an opportunity to finally get rid of 16 years of regime. “The confidence, hope and belief in the HDP is growing by the day”, she said.

The HDP co-chair said that HDP and Demirtaş will save the peoples from fascist power.

“A country without the HDP - she said - will remain breathless and democracy and freedoms will be kept hostage! Leaving the HDP under the threshold - she added - means leaving democracy buried under the threshold. It means the repressive authoritarian rule taking the country as a captive. Everyone should see and know this”.

HDP is the key to get rid of fascism

Buldan added: “Everyone who wants to get rid of this fascist government, who stands by democratic principles, free and equal life, should see that their only hope in this dark environment is the HDP.

The votes given to HDP and Demirtaş are the votes given to freedom, democracy and equal life. HDP is the door to a free tomorrow. Each vote given to HDP and Demirtaş will change the fate of this country”.

Buldan pledged the candidates will visit every corner of the country: “We will shake hands with everybody! We will tell who we are, our goals and we’ll explain the crisis this country is experiencing. We will tell our people that these elections are a choice between light and darkness!”

Stressing that “perhaps we are faced with one of the most important choices in the history of democracy”, Buldan said: “There are two options: equal and free life, or the power of fascism! The world is filled with historical triumphs of freedom struggles. - she continued - Fascism always collapses in history. We were successful in the 7 June 2016 elections, the people were successful. So today we will work day and night to achieve even better results than those we achieved on 7 June. This is our target. We can overcome obstacles and thresholds in the future with determined steps and a strong stance”.

Reminding that “despite the thousands of our executives, members, deputies, mayors, are in prison we are standing here today! Committed!”

HDP is a party of women

Buldan stressed that “as women within the HDP we are not just looking after the ‘women issues department’. We are everywhere. Our female friends, our women candidates will reach all women during the election campaign, will tell women the principles of HDP, women's policies and the solution program”.

Buldan called on the youth to “turn the squares into a democracy party”.

After Buldan, co-chair Sezai Temelli spoke. “Our strength is the only address for the dignified resistance of the Kurdish people. Labor and democracy forces, women vanguards, youth dynamism, all find in the HDP their house. The only guarantee for the poor, the workers, the peasants, the unheard comes from siding with the prospect of a new life”.

Temelli underlined that Erdoğan's election manifesto is a document telling a nice fantasy tale. “But we are here to change Turkey”, he said.

Acknowledging that only with the HDP overcoming the threshold there would be a real chance to get rid of the one-man regime, Temelli said that “it is impossible for the AKP to form a government alone and the HDP in Parliament will make sure of that”.

Temelli continued: “Our efforts are to change this polarized society, where people do not listen to each other, where people do not help each other. Solving the Kurdish question will provide a framework for a lasting and a just peace for the whole country, because it will give everybody the opportunity to live in peace and in harmonious coexistence”.

Temelli said that “all services and policies will be under the guarantee of the Democratic Constitution on the basis of equal citizenship. The HDP will make sure that all the peoples of Turkey will live together in a society based on trust and solidarity, justice and a fair economy”.

Democracy at home and abroad

Temelli underlined that the HDP will represent a breath of fresh air not just in domestic policy, but also in foreign policy. “Today, Erdoğan's government, which is known as one of the 5 dictatorial governments in the world, has decided to make alliances with the fascist states of the world. We will end fascism”.

Temelli ended his remarks by saying that “those who advocate freedom of the press in the most difficult conditions, those who believe in the richness of their beliefs and identities, know they have a house here in the HDP. Likewise those who have been persecuted and sacked. We have opened a new era in Turkey’s politics based on women and gender equality. And we will continue to pave the way for a democratic Turkey”.