KJK’s Erzincan: HDP will say stop to AKP power and dictatorship

English version of the article by KJK (Kurdistan Women's Community) Coordination member Besê Erzincan about the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey.

By year 2018, the awakening and organizing level at the front of democracy and liberties is being improved in Turkey more rapidly and broadly than ever, and especially the struggle of women should be emphasized. The reason of this is the transformation of Turkey into a country of full darkness by the alliance made by Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Thousands of people have been arrested, thousands of them have been charged from their jobs and thousands of them have been forced to migrate to foreign countries in the days of this fascist alliance in order to silence all kinds of oppositional and critical voices. The economic policies of this period have impoverished the poor and prospered the rich.

Essentially liberties, human rights, freedom of thought and democratic front in Turkey were targeted through the denialist and genocidal policies against Kurdish people. A somber state terror, violence and exploitation policy has been conducted against the communities of Turkey. The ins have squeezed the society into a perpetual crisis in order to consolidate the AKP power.

The nationalistic, sexist, sectarian policies held by AKP gave rise to reactions and anger of peoples of Turkey, of women, of the youth and of the whole society. The AKP government, which of course is a special war regime bases on violence, force, persecution, oppression and detention, has begun to lose the society’s trust through its fascistic policies.

AKP government mostly targeted the women who wanted to become free and to have equal access to social and political issues. Erdoğan regime is the most reactionary regime against the women; against the desire and the determination of them to participate in social life with their own speech, identity and existence.  The rates of violence against women have reached its maximum level in the last years. This regime has tried to develop the practices of male-dominant mentality which wants to keep the women in the status of a thing, an object and to form their existence even by interfering their family issues and their daily lives. For short, a terrible period when misogyny was conducted against women especially as a special war policy; when the violence against women was justified; when thousands of women were arrested, impoverished and forced to migration was the period when AKP and MHP alliance was in power.

And because of these, On 24 June, the most efficient response to fascist regime of Erdoğan would be displayed by the women and the youth who want democracy. Every woman who claims free life should struggle against AKP and MHP alliance. Women’s movement, nongovernmental women organizations, feminists, academicians, writers, artists, Alevis, all people from every corner of the society should display their manner and attitude against fascist AKP power by participating in the elections and voting for Peoples’ Democratic Party.

Today in Turkey the real opposition party is the HDP, a party which predicates itself upon democracy, coexistence of peoples, women’s liberation and equality. Therefor to make HDP to pass the election threshold our people should vote with a great sensitiveness and responsibility. In Europe the electoral process has started. Our people in Europe, our women in Europe certainly should go to polls. Our whole society in Kurdistan and our friends should vote for HDP both abroad and in Turkey and they should protect their votes. AKP is trying to make HDP not to pass the election threshold by using fraudulent and forceful ways. It changes the places of the ballot boxes. It arrests the followers of HDP. They are trying to invalidate the votes for HDP.

Therefor women should lead the process of voting and protecting the votes. Women should display an effective effort to make everyone go to polls and to increase the votes of HD). It should not be forgotten that every kind of abstention would militate in favor of AKP. Every vote for AKP means increase in the violence against women and exploitation. HDP will say stop to AKP power and the dictatorship.

Hence, we again call all women, the youth, belief groups and the forces of freedom and democracy to vote for HDP in June elections and to struggle more strongly and challengingly in this period to make HDP pass the election threshold. Our women, our people would display the needed response to fascist power of AKP and MHP alliance. The winner would be the front of democracy and liberties, the fraternity of the peoples and the freedom struggle of women.