On the anniversary of the coup against the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) on November 4, 2016 and the usurpation of Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti municipalities in 2024, the DEM Party (Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party) Democratic Local Governments Council called on the Turkish government to take concrete steps toward democratization.
The DEM Party demanded, among other things, the withdrawal of the appointed trustees from Kurdish municipalities and the release of all imprisoned HDP politicians. “If the process for peace and a democratic society is to be credible, the existing undemocratic practices must be eliminated,” the statement said. The demands are related to the dialogue process initiated by Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, which the DEM Party considers a historic step toward the democratization of Turkey.
November 4
The DEM Party recalled that on November 4, 2016, twelve members of parliament from the then HDP – including party leaders Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ – were arrested. At the same time, on November 4, 2024, the municipalities of Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti were usurped and the democratically elected mayors were replaced by state-appointed trustees.
“November 4 symbolizes the systematic elimination of democratically elected Kurdish representatives. The ongoing practice of replacing elected mayors with appointed officials is an open disregard for the will of the voters and a major obstacle to the democratization process,” the party underlined.
Trust only through concrete steps
The DEM Party sees the current phase as an opportunity to stabilize the democratization process that has been initiated by the recent steps taken by the Kurdish movement. “The initiative launched by Mr. Öcalan has created hope for a new, equal Turkey. However, this hope is being weakened by the government’s hesitant behavior. Securing democracy and freedom is not the sole responsibility of the Kurdish movement,” the party said and stressed that the state must also live up to its responsibilities and take decisive steps to support the process.
As key conditions for a credible process, the DEM Party called for the withdrawal of the trustees from Kurdish municipalities, the reinstatement of elected representatives, and the immediate release of all politicians who have been imprisoned, convicted, or charged because of their political activities.
A guarantee for peaceful coexistence
“The consolidation of the Peace and Democratic Society Process through mutual goodwill measures and the development of public trust will become more feasible through these steps. Taking these steps is not only a requirement for democratization, but also a guarantee for the peaceful coexistence of peoples, the DEM Party concluded.
Source: ANF News
