Evin Incir was born in Amed and is a candidate to the European Parliament for the Swedish Social Democratic Labor Party (SAP).

The European elections are scheduled for 26 May. In 2014, the SAP was able to send five members to the European Parliament out of the 20 sent by Sweden.

Considering that Sweden will be represented by 21 deputies because of the UK leaving the EU, it is certain that İncir will be elected.

İncir, 34, has been in politics for many years in the Social Democratic Labor Party. For a time, she was chairperson of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), and for the past two years she has been the Deputy Secretary of International Affairs of the Social Democratic Labor Party.

İncir said she would counter racism and those forces against migrants, and would defend democracy and human rights as well raise the Kurdish issue.

“Opposition must unite”

İncir has worked for a time for the Olof Palme Center Turkey table and is in close relationship with civil society organizations. She stated that the local elections campaign is marked by repression and tension in Turkey and Kurdistan but added that there are also positive developments.

“I find it good that the HDP and the CHP cooperate in some provinces for these local elections. Although not officially an alliance, their cooperation is a positive development. Two years ago, we organized seminars for CHP, HDP and trade union leaders to achieve this cooperation. We have always encouraged cooperation.”

İncir has it clear that “the opposition needs to cooperate to ensure the building of an environment in which peace can be developed in Turkey. To counter the AKP the opposition needs to unite.”

“Erdoğan is turning into a dictator”

The young European Parliament candidate underlined that “Erdoğan and the AKP are criminalising the HDP and the fact that the CHP keeps quiet about this criminalisation is not a correct strategy.

Erdoğan is turning into a dictator. In order to consolidate his power, he is implementing a strategy to open a gap between opposition parties and thus prevent them from cooperating. It aims to maintain its power by neutralizing the opposition parties. We do not see any signs that Erdoğan will respect the principles of the democratic rule of law. The opposition must understand that they need to cooperate to oppose this. If they act together, they can create an alternative, but if they don’t, they can't do it.”

İncir pointed at that non-compliance by Turkey of the European Court of Human Rights ruling to release former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas.

She added that the Social Democratic Labor Party has close ties with the HDP and has been urging to end the repression and arrests of the HDP people, and that the European Union and its affiliated organizations should do the same.

İncir said that the European Parliament’s decision to freeze Turkey’s membership talks is a positive step but added that “we should be very careful when we talk about imposing sanctions. Because sanctions ultimately harm people.”

“Turkey has no respect for prisoners’ rights”

Talking about HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven and the hunger strike resistance demanding the end of isolation against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, İncir said: “Human rights and freedoms must apply to everyone. This is indisputable. No one can be treated differently. States have obligations to respect the democratic rights of all prisoners. Something has to be done so people don't lose their lives. First of all the problems in Turkey must be solved as soon as possible. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström has asked to resume peace talks.”