HDP’s Temelli in Batman as part of local elections work

HDP co-chair said the political genocide operations are being used by the ruling AKP as an election campaign tool.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Sezai Temelli visited Batman city within the frame of the party's local elections work.

Batman deputies Feleknas Uca and Nejdet İpekyüz accompanied Temelli during his visit.

Temelli, who first visited the family of jailed HDP provincial co-chair, Nizamettin Toğuç, who has been recently arrested, also visited the families of other politicians and activists arrested as part of the political genocide operations launched against HDP.

He said the political genocide operations are being used by the ruling AKP as an election campaign tool.

"In order to show the HDP as enemy they do nothing except to arrest our friends. The 24 June election is the most important evidence. In the next local elections we will show our will. No matter what obstacle they might put in front of us, we will take it down".

Temelli reminded how Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told at the group meeting that preparations for the operation to the east of the Euphrates are being made. "He clearly does not give up his desire for dragging the region to war", said Temelli.

Referring to the quartet summit in Istanbul (Turkey, France, Germany and Russia) Temelli said: "They have put up a table on Syria in Istanbul, but no Syrians are at the table. They call for non-military solutions. The next day, the Syrian crisis is coming".

Temelli also saluted the fact that tomorrow, 1 November, is Kobane World Day. He reminded how former co-chairs of the HDP and party's deputies have been tried for defending peace for Kobane; "The struggle for peace and democracy has become a crime in this country".

Speaking about the forthcoming local elections, Temelli continued: "This is not about imposing our own candidates, but about respecting the people's will.  We can show solidarity anywhere in Turkey about the candidates. The important thing is to get rid of this institutionalised fascism. If we fail, tomorrow we may not even have an election choice".