The HDP Central Executive Committee and the Assembly Group held a 6 hour long emergency meeting in Amed yesterday in order to determine its roadmap in the lights of the detainment of 9 Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) parliamentarians including Co-Presidents Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ. HDP Spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen announced the decisions that were made in front of the HDP Provincial Building in Amed, and HDP parliamentarians, Central Executive Committee members, Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Democratic Society Congress Co-President Leyla Güven, and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-President Kamuran Yüksek participated in the press statement. Below is the full text of the press statement:

“We will prevail…

As we begin, we condemn the bomb attack in Diyarbakır on November 4, offer our condolences to the relatives of the victims, and wish those that have been injured a speedy recovery. We salute our Co-Presidents, parliamentarians, administrators and elected Co-Mayors with respect. We support their honorable stance and uncompromising approach. With their stance against oppression, cruelty, denial and fascism, they have been of great moral support to the peoples of Turkey, primarily Kurdish people, and strengthen the determination of our struggle.

1. Today, the Erdoğan-AKP government aiming to seize all democratic and political gains and eliminate all of our institutions with their heavy attacks on democratic politics and opposition. What is targeted is not only the political will of more than 6 million people that have voted for the HDP but also democracy, freedom, equality, labor rights, women’s liberation and the millions of conscious and democrat peoples’ struggle for justice.

The Erdoğan-AKP government first lifted the immunities of parliamentarians, then used the July 15 coup attempt as an opportunity to rule the country with the state of emergency and emergency decrees, carried out their own coup, rendered the parliament dysfunctional and transformed Turkey into a ‘Republic of Appointed Trustees.’ Lastly, they have shown their utter disrespect for the choices and will of the people as they arrested 9 of our parliamentarians including our Co-Presidents. The siege on our headquarters in Ankara and the prevention of our administrators and members from entering the headquarters illustrates their approach to democratic politics.

2. After a detailed discussion, our Parliament Group and Central Executive Council decided to suspend all of their activities in the parliament and reunite with our peoples against the most comprehensive and shady attacks in our history of democratic politics. In future days, we will go from house to house, from neighborhood to neighborhood, from village to village, from district to district, and from city to city in order to listen to the complaints and proposals of our people. With all of our constituents, allies, institutions, forces of democracy, peace and labor, non-governmental organizations, unions, faith groups, women, youth, and environmental and ecological movements, we will debate and hear proposals. After all of these inquiries, we will evaluate the proposals and share the results with the public. We will take the steps necessary for creating a future that surpass the appointed trustees. We will enhance the struggle for a ‘Democratic Republic’ against the ‘Republic of Appointed Trustees.

3. With all of its institutions, allies, constituents, Co-Presidents, parliamentarians, members and organizations, the HDP is the insurance of the democratic politics and opposition in Turkey. The imprisonment of our friends, who struggle for peace, solution, democracy, freedom, justice and equality, and have been taken as hostages, will not change our principles and stance. These attacks will not backtrack our struggle in democratic politics.

The path to the equal co-existence of peoples, faith groups and cultures in Turkey is the strengthening of the HDP and its alliances. The government may imprison our Co-Presidents and other people that demand peace, democracy, justice and freedom, but it will not end our democratic and political struggle. The Erdoğan-AKP government has brought chaos to the country over the past year and a half, and killed, injured, left without a house or a job millions of people as they increased the polarization in the society. We emphasize clearly once again; the ‘Turkish-style presidency is ‘one-man’s rule, fascism, war, oppression, discontent and cruelty.

4. We call upon all democracy forces, democratic organizations and institutions, parliaments, political parties and non-governmental organizations in the world: Raise your voices for commitment to universal human rights and the democratic values of law, take a political stance, and do not bow to Erdoğan’s threats. Because, the Erdoğan-AKP government is dragging Turkey to a totalitarian regime where universal human rights are ignored and international democratic agreements are violated. Failing to say ‘stop’ is a grave danger for the countries of the region and the peoples of Europe.

We call upon the forces of democracy, labor and peace in Turkey and the conscious citizens that have had enough with oppression and injustice; Our call is not only a call for solidarity with the HDP but a call for the joint struggle of everyone that work towards and have made sacrifices for freedom, equality, democracy, secularism and justice.

We know that our shared yearnings have social legitimacy and validity. Therefore, we are determined to develop our struggle together with all forces of democracy and peace against the November 4 coup targeting the democratic gains of peoples, faith groups, cultures, and women’s liberation movement in Turkey.

We will not bow down to these attacks and disseminate our proposal of democracy against dictatorship. Let us not forget that we are all the hope of Turkey and the lights of democracy and freedom. We will grow this hope and light altogether.

WE WILL PREVAIL...”

‘WE WILL DECIDE ON WITHDRAWAL WITH OUR PEOPLE’

After reading above statement, Bilgen said “We are suspending all general assembly and commission activities. We will decide on withdrawal from the parliament with our people. After this decision, we will wait for the stance of the Prime Minister and the President.”