The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) held a public rally in Urfa province, southeast Turkey under the motto “We are HDP, we are everywhere” as part of its ‘Defence Campaign’. HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır were welcomed by the party members at the entrance of the city.

TRIBUTE TO THOSE KILLED IN SURUÇ AND ANKARA

Highlights of Buldan's speech at the meeting are as follows:

“We commemorate once again all those who lost their lives in these massacres in Suruç and Ankara Train Station. We know the perpetrators of the massacres and we express once again that we will bring them to account before the judiciary.

'ANTI-KURDISH GOVERNMENT'

Dear people of Urfa, we are also aware of the troubles experienced during the summer months, especially in Urfa. Power cuts of DEDAŞ left the people of Urfa without electricity and water. We know well that hostility towards Kurds lies behind these policies. The government finished the agriculture by cutting off the electricity and water in a city where people live by agriculture. This is because the rulers of this country, the government, the AKP, target and insult Kurds and the HDP each day. We believe that the people of Urfa will give their answer to the hostility towards the Kurds at the ballot boxes.

RESISTANCE OF SENYASAR FAMILY

We heard that the Şenyaşar family, who has been carrying out a justice vigil for 128 days in front of the Urfa Courthouse, has once again been taken into custody. Why were they detained? The authorities knew that we are coming here today, and they detained the Şenyaşar family because of the possibility of a visit by us. We once again condemn this immorality and unlawfulness. The AKP government has again demonstrated its cruelty. We send our respect and love to our mother Emine Şenyaşar.

'NOT EVEN A SINGLE KURD'

The AKP's pressure on the Kurds is obvious. The government rules the country under tyranny since they aim to come to power once again in the next elections. However, it is time to show once again that the peoples of Turkey and the Kurds are fed up with the AKP's lies and will never be fooled by these lies. I talked about the importance of the solution process in Antep yesterday. I respond to those who distort my statement and say that the HDP wants to sit at the table with the AKP once again to resume the solution process: Not even a single Kurd wants to sit at the table with the AKP amid the atrocities committed by the AKP, the detention and arrest of our mayors, our arrested deputies in prisons and the lawsuits filed against us.

Those who run the country with anti-democratic practices and crack down on the Kurdish people and its elected politicians should know well that they are now living their last days. The polls say that they are losing votes. That’s why they go to Diyarbakır and break the ice with the Kurds. However, the Kurds will never forget your atrocities and what you did to Selahattin Demirtaş Figen Yüksekdağ and others.

IMRALI ISOLATION

Something I said yesterday in Antep was also distorted. Rumors have been circulated about who toppled the negotiation table during the peace process. The President said in Diyarbakır that the HDP had toppled the table during the solution process. I am saying here as someone who was involved in the peace process:  those who did not recognize the Dolmabahçe Agreement', those who could not tolerate the HDP's June 7 election success and those who rejected promoting peace and democracy in this country put down the solution process. The party that terminated the peace process is the current AKP government.

Of course, we care about the solution process. I also said yesterday that I wish the solution process would be reintroduced, talks with Mr. Öcalan would start and the isolation on him would be lifted. However, we also know that the AKP government is not able to come up with a solution. The AKP government is looking for ways and methods to deepen and multiply this problem, instead of solving it. It executes isolation on Öcalan in Imrali. Yet, the peoples of Turkey including Turks, Kurds, Laz people, Circassians, Arabs, Sunnis and Alevis will form a union of forces for this country to have a democratic administration in the next elections. But these forces should not deny the Kurds. They have to recognize the Kurdish problem fully and clearly. We are ready to fulfil our responsibility to build a democratic and peaceful Turkey. We want to rule this country as well.

'BIGGEST OBSTACLE IS HDP'

We know that they consider the HDP as the biggest obstacle to their goals. The biggest obstacle is us, the HDP. Because we are all over Turkey, we are Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Syriacs, Alevis, Sunnis, women, young people... Because we are workers, laborers, tradesmen… Whoever has a problem, we are there by her/his side. The HDP has an important place in the political arena in today’s Turkey. They have recently launched a closure case against us. They think that if the HDP is closed, it will fade away.

No one should think or hope that the HDP will be closed. We will never and ever allow them to shut down the HDP. We organize our work according to the agenda of our people, not according to the HDP closure case. Every day we are in the fields, in the squares and in the streets.”

Following Buldan's speech, the meeting ended with local dances.