Istanbul. Die politischen Gefangenen im Hochsicherheitsgefängnis der westtürkischen Stadt Edirne haben ihren Hungerstreik nach Angaben der pro-kurdischen Linkspartei HDP beendet. Zuvor habe die Gefängnisleitung Zusagen gemacht, gab der dort inhaftierte HDP-Chef Selahattin Demirtas am Freitagabend bekannt.

Turkey has been wracked by political instability since Demirtas and the HDP won an unprecedented electoral victory in June 2015, exceeding 10 percent of the popular vote, which allowed them for the first time to create an HDP voting bloc in parliament and which also led to the first electoral defeat for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) since 2002. To undercut this electoral victory, Erdogan and his allies have used violence to create the conditions necessary to consolidate power. Meanwhile, the United States and Europe haven’t just remained silent — they have been complicit.

Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş suffered a heart spasm in jail on Dec. 10, HDP lawmaker Ayhan Bilgen said on Dec. 12 at the party’s Central Executive Board meeting.

“We are concerned about our co-chair’s medical condition. We will apply to the Turkish Chamber of Doctors and request that Demirtaş receives treatment in hospital by impartial doctors,” Bilgen said.

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Medienberichten zufolge gab es abgestimmte Polizeirazzien mit Festnahmen von HDP-Politikern in mehreren türkischen Städten. Auch die Parteizentrale in Ankara werde durchsucht. Die HDP ist mit 59 Sitzen die drittgrößte Partei im Parlament und die größte politische Vertretung der Kurden.

First of all I would like to make this sincere call to the government. We have underlined this in relation to Suruç and other massacres as well. There are forces that have embedded themselves within state institutions. This fact revealed itself in a very painful way on the night of 15 July. There are forces embedded within the state, who do not want us to talk to each other, to make peace with each other. They have no allegiance to the state or the people. These circles cause all sorts of security and intelligence weaknesses to play us off against each other. Here is our call to and expectation and request from Mr Prime Minister. You should immediately launch an investigation about all those who caused security and intelligence defects by not properly investigating previous massacres in Suruç and other places.
The massacre in Gaziantep yesterday, too, points to a security and intelligence defect. If we do not go on at these forces properly, their “boldness” and “courage” can go as far as bombarding the parliament with tanks and cannons.

İzmir HDP lideri Demirtaş İzmir‘de konuştu

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş has called on Turkey’s government and to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to seize the opportunity to adopt braver policies and rekindle peace negotiations following the recent failed coup attempt.

“We once again repeat our call to the PKK and the government,” Demirtaş told members of his party during a parliamentary group meeting on July 26, adding that Turkey is “not the same” as it was on July 14.

Demirtaş made the comments addressing a rally in Istanbul Saturday afternoon. The rally, organized by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) of which he is co-chair, had the theme “No to coups. Democracy now.”

“Let us put aside anger, hatred, and polarization,” he said, condemning the coup. “Society now wants peace.”

Again, ironically, more or less around the same dates as Mr. Demirtaş committed the crime of treason, Masoud Barzani, the head of the KRG [and the “tribal gang leader” in the eyes of Ankara two decades ago] received red-carpet treatment in the Turkish capital, meeting with every possible dignitary including the president and prime minister. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Barzani’s prime minister, Nechirvan Barzani, enjoyed the same Turkish pleasantries in Ankara.

Auf das gepanzerte Fahrzeug von Selahattin Demirtas sei eine Kugel abgefeuert worden, als er durch die überwiegend kurdische Stadt Diyarbakir im Südosten des Landes gefahren sei, teilte seine Demokratische Volkspartei (HDP) am Montag im Kurznachrichtendienst Twitter mit.