This morning the Interior Ministry has seized 5 of our municipalities and detained the co-mayors.
Our co-chair Mithat Sancar held a press conference at the HDP headquarters regarding the issue. In his speech Sancar said briefly following:
Erdoğan's government has been trying to play the victim by spreading rumours of a potential coup recently. It now turns out that they were planning their own coup. This morning the government has appointed trustees to 5 of our municipalities -that is the real coup.
This government, using the authorities in its power, is staging a coup by eliminating people's will. With its policy of trustees, the government is bearing enmity towards Kurdish people. This amounts to the rejection of democracy, this amounts to the non-recognition of the will of the people. The appointment of trustees is the severest and most apparent example of its enmity towards Kurds. The pro-coup mindset of the government manifests itself in other fields as well.
The government also tried to discipline CHP municipalities with the blackmail of trustees. While humanity is struggling against the coronavirus outbreak and has chosen to struggle against it with solidarity, the government has sought to eliminate solidarity and organization of the people.
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The appointment of trustees doesn’t lead to any consequences other than increasing our determination. As the whole world knows, the HDP does not submit to such pressure, the Kurdish people are not afraid of such oppression.
We will continue to fight against all kinds of unlawful, undemocratic practices and policies of on a democratic ground. We do not doubt that our determination will bring peace and democracy to Turkey.
But peace and democracy in Turkey and in the broader region cannot only be shouldered by the Kurds and HDP. That is why we repeat our call to all democratic forces and to those who want to live in peace in Turkey: Let's stand together, let’s build our struggle together.
15 May 2020