The HDK held its 13th General Assembly at the Dr. Kadir Topbaş Culture and Arts Center. The slogan of the congress was "With hope, with resistance, together towards freedom".

DEM Party co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) co-chair Keskin Bayındır, and representatives from political parties, attended the meeting.

Meral Danış Beştaş, a member of parliament from the Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and Ali Kenanoğlu have been elected as the new co-spokespersons of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK).

After the announcement of the new co-spokespersons, Kenanoğlu said: "In early 2011, we discussed the HDK idea with Sabahat Tuncel, Levent Tüzel, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, and Ertuğrul Kürkçü. We believed in the HDK vision as it should be, and we set to work immediately, organizing without delay. Now, standing here as co-spokesperson of the congress we established back then fills me with pride. I wish success to everyone involved."

Meral Danış Beştaş said: "A lot has been said about the HDK. We agree with all of you. It is true, the congress is very important, and we will continue our work in this sense. In fact, we were never apart. The HDK has accomplished good work as an umbrella organization. That is why we thank our friends who worked to get us here. 1 November was World Kobanê Day. This revolution is a women's revolution. The HDK will mostly be organized among women. Women are always at the forefront. 4 November marks the anniversary of the 2016 coup. Those who were sentenced in the Kobanê Conspiracy Case continue to be held in prison. We send greetings to Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş. There are many who are trying to make us pay the price for Kobanê. We will pay the price for this, but we will not give up on Kobanê. Our friends continue to be in prison despite the decisions of international courts."

Beştaş continued: "How we will grow the HDK is related to the effort we will put in. Of course, there is a Kurdish question that affects our entire lives right now. The issue of the existence of the Kurds has been going on for centuries. What is the role of the HDK? We need to work hard on this. It is the HDK’s responsibility that peace is given the most importance by the societies of Turkey. We need to explain to the people what this war environment and isolation has caused us to lose. Because the dominant powers against us are constantly making an effort to deepen hostility and polarization. This effort is not only verbal, they are dividing the country with their televisions and institutions. The HDK will unite this country. The HDK is to continue on the path of unity. Isolation continues. Our MP Ömer Öcalan was finally able to meet with Mr. Öcalan, but as I said, isolation continues. Mr. Öcalan was given a new disciplinary penalty just last Friday. The HDK will continue to struggle against this regime of lawlessness. As we have always said, the addressee of peace is Mr. Öcalan. It is possible to build an honorable peace with the HDK. Mr. Öcalan says, 'We will not allow fascism to turn a blind eye to darkness in the form of twilight in the West and deathly silence in the East.' We will not allow this either.

We are approaching from a place of belief in a common homeland and a democratic republic. We have a say in the whole country. We have a duty to democratize this country together. What is inevitable is not war, but peace. There is a silent rebellion in the whole country, but this is not turning into resistance. We will turn this silent rebellion into resistance."