HDP Co-President Figen Yüksekdağ spoke at her party’s group meeting yesterday in Ankara, condemning the attack on one of the party members and emphasising that the attack was the result of the party being targeted by the government. Yüksekdağ said: "The AKP government and those who claim to be leading it have for days been using the language of war and incitement, and the pro-government media have made us a target by slander and manipulation.”

HDP Co-President Figen Yüksekdağ condemned the attack on party assembly member Ahmet Karataş at the party’s Ankara office, saying: “We don’t see this attack as one carried out by an angry individual, but as an assault which is the consequence of the targeting of our party.”

She added that their party were working for peace and a resolution and to take ownership of Kobanê, but that the mentality of the government had shown once again that it did not understand the party’s language.

'First you behave like a government’

Yüksekdağ recalled that PM Ahmet Davutoğlu had said: "The HDP does not behave like a political party.” Yüksekdağ said: "We call on Mr Davutoğlu and the government. Before trying to teach us how to behave like a political party, you behave like a government. It is your duty to work for peace and the security of peoples, not to target the HDP at this critical, tense time.”

She added that the HDP had shown the responsibility that the government had failed to demonstrate, adding that mineworkers were continuing to die as a result of a lack of safety in mines.

Yüksekdağ said that the country was going through a very tense period and that while the HDP was endeavouring to behave responsibly the government was threatening the HDP. She called on the government to nourish the process of resolution, rather than breaking the slender branch of peace and democracy. 

‘Government given a lesson in democracy’

Figen Yüksekdağ drew attention to the actions on 1 November for Kobanê, saying they had called people on to the streets and that the protests had been carried out in a democratic way, as there had been no police intervention. She added that the people had given the government a lesson in democracy.

Yüksekdağ criticised the government for not doing its duty for the refugees who crossed into Turkey from Kobanê, saying only 9 thousand people were staying in state provided tents, while 135,000 people were being looked after by the local municipality and the people.

‘Politics are being militarised’

The HDP Co-President criticised the government for saying: "We are not obliged to carry on the process of resolution”, saying: "In that case why have you exploited this process for 2 years? The people voted for you in the hope you would bring peace. This is irresponsibility. Keep your promises.”

Yüksekdağ added: "Concrete steps must be taken. Negotiations should not remain in limbo. The government knows what needs to be done. It should abandon its distortion.” She concluded by saying that while the government was talking about ‘a new Turkey’, in reality, “there are reminders of the old Turkey, as politics becomes increasingly militaristic”.