HDK Co-spokespersons Sebahat Tuncel and Ertuğrul Kürkçü have said that with the congress of 15-16 November the HDK will enter a new period.

Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-spokespersons Sebahat Tuncel and Ertuğrul Kürkçü held a press conference at the Divriği Cultural Centre regarding the HDK Congress to be held between 15 and 16 November.

HDP Istanbul MP Abdullah Levent Tüzel also attended the press conference at which the first speaker was HDK Co-spokesperson Ertuğrul Kürkçü, who emphasised that at the Peace Conference held on 18 and 19 October the most important goal outlined was the socialisation of peace.

Kürkçü said that peace was too social a process to be left to the conflicting parties, adding that by using the term "public order" efforts had been made to make connections between social peace and the process of negotiations.

"If it was left to the government it wouldn't take any initiative for a resolution", said Kürkçü, remarking that they would take the word peace away from the government and take it to every province, district and neighbourhood to ensure the socialisation of the process.

Tüzel: They want to crack down on the search for peace on the streets

HDP Istanbul MP Levent Tüzel said that the government wanted to clear the search for peace from the streets by use of counter guerrilla forces.

Tüzel said that the AKP government was using the term "Public order" to crack down on opposition, and drew attention to workplace killings, racist attacks on the HDP and ecological destruction. The HDP Istanbul MP added: "The HDK is the broadest unity and struggle block Turkey has ever had." Tüzel said that the HDK's aim was to take the struggle for democracy, peace and freedom to another level.

Tuncel: Our new general council is for us a new start

HDK Co-spokesperson Sebahat Tuncel said the HDK had been established with the slogan "Another Turkey is possible", adding that since then there had been two important examples of resistance with Gezi and the Kobanê resistance.

Tuncel added that the HDK had been established on 5 main principles, the first of these being the victory of democracy. She added that the AKP government was using peace to blackmail the people, stressing the HDK's fundamental goals of freedom of labour, freedom of women, ecology and the struggle of youth, adding that on 15 and 16 November they would critique the work they have carried out so far. She said every general council meant a new start. The press conference ended with a question and answer session.