The Kurdish voters played in the Istanbul-choice has a key role. Choice winner imamoğlu benefited from the help of the prokurdischen HDP. Party chef Sezai Temelli, in the DW-Interview, his assessment of the election.
As in the case of the country-wide local elections on October 31. March could rely on the largest opposition party, the social democratic CHP, also at the election on last Sunday in Istanbul, always on the support of the prokurdischen party HDP. Especially its Istanbul candidate Ekrem imamoğlu benefited from the backing of the Kurdish party In the Bosporus metropolis of the HDP to have candidates – in addition, the imprisoned former HDP-chief Selahattin Demirtas for the “choice against fascism called for before the elections”. This imamoğlu secured twice in the victory already in the first ballot, says Sezai Temelli, the party chief of the prokurdischen HDP, in the DW-Interview.
Deutsche Welle: Mr Temelli, how do you estimate the influence of the HDP and their voters on the outcome of the elections in Istanbul? In Istanbul to imamoğlu has approached you and your party colleagues with “My brothers and sisters of the HDP”.
Sezai Temelli: The HDP has definitely influenced the election result. We are the result of the election in the local elections on October 31. March have determined, is obvious. At the second ballot on December 23. June, we have taken even more intensive is the Initiative to affect this Time aware of the outcome of the election. I believe that we have been the decisive factor – the show all the statistics and observations. Both the Statements made by Mr imamoğlu, as well as the other opposition parties were very enjoyable.
A few days before the mayoral election, the imprisoned chief of the outlawed Kurdish workers ‘ party PKK, Abdullah Öcalan was allowed to communicate with the outside world. The mayoral candidate of the AKP Yildirim has attended the majority Kurdish city of Diyarbakir and the Kurdish areas referred to as “Kurdistan”, which would have been a couple of months ago, this was unthinkable. These actions were a move by the government party, the AKP, to pull by Kurdish voters to their side?
Before the local elections has thrown us a permanent accusations to the head – we were terrorists, it was always. We have lost our Jobs, we were denounced as irreligious, and so on and so forth. But as it is, then, to the Lord mayor election on may 23. June approached, has suddenly made the Alliance of the AKP and MHP, a tactical Change. All of a sudden it was “My Kurdish friends…” or “My Love…”. Now and again one or two words in Kurdish. At once it wanted to leave a good impression on the Kurds.
The HDP wants to be a people’s party, therefore, distances itself from the PKK and other terrorist organizations. But the message of Öcalan – the head of a terrorist organization – brings to your party, but the reputation to do with terrorists in a common cause. How do you solve the Dilemma?
Equal to twice win the election in Istanbul: CHP candidate Ekrem imamoğlu
Here, there is absolutely no Dilemma! The accusation that we do not distance ourselves sufficiently from the PKK, is nothing more than Propaganda at the expense of the HDP. Again and again questioned whether or not we are a party of Turkey. But there is no other party in Turkey, the “Turkish” is as our. Because we know that The most important issue in Turkey is the “Kurdish question”. (A peaceful solution to the conflict with the Kurdish minority. Note. d. Red.). And without adequate solutions to the Kurdish question, we will never solve the democracy Problem. And in order to overcome the problem of the Kurds, is needed now, the involvement of Ocalan and the PKK. Ocalan is the most important contact person when it comes to the Kurdish problem.
Since the introduction of the presidential system, a year has passed. Now is again triggered a debate, the Opposition wants to change the new system of government, but still. What is the role of your party is?
The main problem is not that the President is a dial system with the history, political structure and sociology of this country. Here there is clearly a system error. If we ignore this, we will never have a democratic Republic and Constitution.
They refer to the attitude of their party as a “third way” and stressed that on election night once again. What distinguishes the “third way”?
One of the fundamental aspects of the third way is a democratic Constitution. We have a Constitution that emerged after the coup in 1982, and to degenerate since then, a patchwork quilt is. The last amendment to the Constitution has brought us this presidential system. The last years have shown that the Constitution is for all peoples, workers, civil society, trade unions and the entire society. The social peace was torpedoed in the last four years, literally. For the social peace required a willingness to negotiate, a dialogue. A year after the introduction of the new system of government has improved nothing – and this is due to the total incapacity of the government.
The Interview was conducted by Gezal Acer.