The “general congress” of the HDP (Democratic People's Party) has begun at Ahmet Taner Kışlalı sports hall in capital Ankara on Sunday.

The congress which is being held under the slogan “This is just the beginning” is being attended by hundreds of people coming from many cities across Kurdistan.

"Journey to Hope" and "Hello" is written in 15 languages on a banner hanged outside the sports hall which has also been covered with other banners defending freedom and equality for all peoples, democratic autonomy and local administrations, release of political prisoners, ecologic life and justice for the victims of Roboski and other massacres, and solidarity with Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, the Rojava revolution, political prisoners and the Taksim resistance.

The Congress is being attended by a large number of politicians including HDP co-chairs Fatma Gök and Yavuz Önen, BDP deputies, BDP deputy co-chair Hamit Geylani, ÖDP (Freedom and Democracy Party) leader Alper Taş, EMEP (Labor Party) leader Selma Gürkan, KESK (Confederation of Public Workers' Unions) president Lami Özgen.