Bilgen pointed out that the current events are the same as what would have happened if the coup was successful and said: “In any case, if the coup was successful they would have declared a state of emergency. The AKP government who claim that they pushed back the coup and protected democracy now declares a state of emergency and does what would have happened.”

Bilgen stated that one region in Turkey has effectively been ruled under a state of emergency for a long time and continued: “There already was a state of emergency in one region of the country. The government that boasted lifting the state of emergency, reinstated the same thing of their own volition. The declaration that the President got intelligence from his brother in law at a critical point shows what the President, who said the legislation didn’t allow it when asked about why they didn’t fight the Gülen movement, means to do with this practice.”

“We need to rethink the whole process. We need to analyze the developments leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in this framework again,” said Bilgen and stressed that Turkey would now go through the state of emergency it experienced for years with its bad practices again.

Bilgen answered President Erdoğan’s “We declared a state of emergency to protect the democratic system” statement by: “Nowhere in the world would anybody say they declared it to end democracy and human rights. But this has no application.”

Bilgen continued: “In the coming days, they will claim to base this on the Constitution and implement arbitrary practices to put pressure and control over not only the Cemaat, but on all opposition. We can’t say there was a good democracy and now there will be oppression. They referenced the Constitution to legitimize the de facto situation.”

Bilgen stressed that HDP was just as against this threat to democracy as it was against the coup.

“This will come to the Parliament. We are very clear on this. We will defend that such a practice will not contribute to Turkey’s peace or democracy,” said Bilgen, but pointed out that the AKP only needed MHP’s support for the regulation to pass the Parliament. Bilgen called for “unity” to all pro-democracy groups with the following words: “We need to be aware of the current process and all political dynamics that value democracy should cooperate and build the true democratic opposition of the people against the oppression.”

Bilgen said the State of Emergency will be brought to the Parliament, but had actually bypassed it: “The changes will be promulgated first and will go into effect before the Parliament vote.”