The presidential and 28th term parliamentary elections in Turkey on May 14 were marked by massive election fraud amidst reports that countless votes were stolen at several ballot boxes and the will of the people was undermined. In North Kurdistan, the votes of the Green Left Party were counted on behalf of the government ally MHP.

DTK Co-Chair and Green Left Party Amed MP Berdan Öztürk spoke to ANF about the election outcomes and emphasized that the Kurdish people once again voted in favour of democracy despite all obstacles and election fraud.

‘THE FRAUD WAS ORGANIZED BEFOREHAND’

Öztürk noted that the Green Left Party’s votes were stolen in many places and there are ongoing objections to the results. He said: “For 8 years, we, the HDP, the DBP and the DTK, have been subjected to a never-ending crackdown. As you know, we contested the election under the banner of the Green Left Party due to the HDP's closure case before the Constitutional Court. We could not take part in the polling committees due to the MHP’s objection to the HDP’s observation at the polls and the Green Left Party's lack of representation in the Parliament. Still, we had observers on the ground. The MHP organized the fraud in advance. It came out that our votes were counted on behalf of the MHP in all ballot boxes where irregularities were reported. The wet-signed voting minutes we received and the data uploaded to the system of the Supreme Election Board (YSK) do not match. The basis of fraud was prepared beforehand.”

Öztürk reveled that his party faced major obstacles from the state during the election campaign. He added that they had to cancel the Ergani rally because of government pressure.

‘KURDISH PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE OPPRESSIVE REGIME!’

The Kurdish politician emphasized that despite all the obstacles and election fraud, the Kurdish people took a clear stand in these elections and responded to the fascists and anti- Kurdish rivals. Stressing that the Kurds said no to the system represented by Erdoğan, he continued: “The Kurdish people said no to the government that has put them through the wringer for the last 8 years. The Kurdish people said that ‘we choose honourable peace, democracy and coexistence’. Everyone should respect the election results, especially in Amed, and those who question the intentions of the Kurdish people should read the results properly. From now on, those who accuse the Kurds and their friends of separatism should pull themselves together. Our stance is clear; nationalists and fascists came together and supported Erdoğan. The Kurdish people have shown their sincerity not once, but three times. The message the Kurds gave to the peoples and parties in Turkey in this regard is clear. The Kurdish people and their allies said that ‘if you want justice and democracy, we will support you’. We pay the price every day for this cause, but the Green Left Party is still being discussed. We defend and will continue to defend the coexistence project suggested by the Kurdish people and Mr. Abdullah Öcalan for the peoples of Turkey. Normally, the Kurdish people do not vote for the CHP and its leader. The Kurdish people went to the polls not to vote for Kılıçdaroğlu, but to defend democracy and bring down the Erdoğan mentality.”