Mehmet Emin Aktar ranks 9th in the candidate list of the Green Left Party for Diyarbakır (ku:Amed). He graduated from the Department of Law at Istanbul University in 1986. Working as a self-employed lawyer since 1987, Aktar served as a Member of the Board of Directors of Amed Bar Association between 1992-2001, and as the head of the association between 2008 and 2012.

THIS ELECTION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

In an interview with ANF, Mehmet Emin Aktar emphasized that after years of work for non-governmental organizations, he became a parliamentary candidate because of the high-stakes elections. He said: “I am a member of various non-governmental organizations and associations, but I have not had any active membership in political parties. But this time I have considered taking part in politics, since the upcoming elections are extremely critical and the government could move from an authoritarian regime to a new era. I have accepted the offer from the Green Left Party and applied for parliamentary candidacy.”

PEOPLE ARE NOT SILENT, THEY ARE ANGRY

Aktar continued: “Attempts have been made to silence Diyarbakır for the last 7 years with practices such as appointment of trustees to municipalities, crackdown on politicians, detentions, arrests and sentences. A significant number of politicians have been imprisoned and some have been forced to leave the country. From this point of view, a democratic backsliding can be seen, but Diyarbakır always has a democratic potential. Undoubtedly, this potential brings in new activists and new actors to both politics and non-governmental organizations.

The oppressive regime of this government has taken a fascist turn, especially after the July 15 coup attempt. As a result, almost all democratic rights have been restricted. Everyone thought that Kurdish society was finally silenced or intimidated, but we see that society actually amassed anger during this period of time. This anger needs to be channelled correctly. If we can channel this anger towards politics, we will achieve very good results. We must work without ever forgetting that this land, this city, belongs to us, and by explaining ourselves more accurately without escalating tensions. Because the people remind us that they are the owners of these lands, and we should be their representative. We are continuing to work with this understanding.”

VOTERS SHOULD GO TO POLLS AND ENSURE ELECTION SAFETY

Aktar added: “Everyone should go to the polls. But, this is not enough. Citizens should also protect their votes in the ballot boxes. I think that the country will wake up to a bright new day on the morning of May 15, the day after the elections. Of course, this will not be a day when everything will be great. Perhaps a much more difficult process will begin. Because if a reconstruction is required, it is necessary to move to a new stage. A new constitutional order must be established. When viewed from this aspect, we need to find a new solution that is more libertarian, promotes local administration and focuses on the solution to the Kurdish question. In that respect, a difficult process is very likely to begin. Defeating the governing alliance is not the only issue. Perhaps it is necessary to prevent the emergence of another possible power constellation that may wish to re-establish a repressive regime. The Green Left Party has an important position in this sense as well.”