Traditionally all MPs attend the first session of the new legislative year in the Turkish parliament where Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to deliver a speech. But this year HDP desks will be empty.

Speaking in a press conference at his party’s headquarters in Ankara, HDP Spokesperson Osman Baydemir said that HDP MPs will mark the beginning of the new legislative year in front of Edirne Prison, not in the parliament.

HPD Parliamentary Group decided to continue the actions to raise awareness against Turkish oppressive policies against HDP MPs and supporters. Boycotting of the new legislative year ceremony is one of them.

All MPs of HDP will gather together in front of Edirne prison where party’s co-chair Selahattin Demirtas is imprisoned on October 1, the start of the new legislative year.

“Our co-chairs and MPs are imprisoned for 328 days. And Demirtas didn’t appear before the court even once after his arrest” Baydemir said.

Baydemir criticised government’s decision to force Demirtas and others to use the video conferencing system SEGBİS to defend themselves at court.

“Ankara’s 25th Court of First Instance decided to force Demirtas to attend the court hearing by. The reason behind not bringing Demirtas to the courtroom is what they call “procedure economy”. The trial was in Diyarbakir but it was transferred to Ankara for security reasons. Now this government can’t secure a trial in the country’s capital. This government is trying to spare from trial costs. Is the budget that empty? If this is all about the cost, people who voted for Demirtas can cover it” he said.

Baydemir accused the judiciary institutions of becoming the political authority’s tool for ignoring and destroying the will of people. Citing their action in front of the Constitutional Court at the start of the new judicial year Baydemir said they will be in front of Edirne prison at the start of the new legislative year.

on the other hand, HDP Spokesperson greeted the referendum results in Southern Kurdistan and said even under the present circumstances in Iraq the referendum is an inspiration for development of democracy in the Middle East.

Baydemir said all problems between Iraq’s central government and the Kurdish region should be solved through dialogue and called on all parties to show respect to the Kurdish people’s will.

Concerning the hostile politics or Iran and Turkey against the Kurds, Baydemir said: “Both the Tehran regime and AKP-MHP coalition show hostile attitude toward the Kurdish people. Hostility to Kurds did not benefit anybody until today and won’t benefit hereafter. These policies should be abandoned. The only way to achieve peace in the Middle East is building an alliance with the Kurdish people. Be sure that the Kurdish alliance is not hostile to any other nation. On the contrary it’s the only recipe to free people from shackles of racism.”

Baydemir called on the Turkish government to abandon the hostile language and policy against Kurds. He also called upon all democratic forces to stand against hostile policies against the Kurds.