Ozan Özgenler is a university student and he is a candidate for the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) at the Parliamentary elections on 24 June.

He is canvassing every day, street by street, house by house, but also at the university. Backpack on his shoulder, Ozan, 26 years old, has found a creative way of going about his election campaign. Instead of telling voters his promises, he passes the microphone to them and asks: 'What would you ask if you met your deputy candidate?'

And the answers reveal the problems that the young people in the country are experiencing.

Ozan Özgenler was born in Malatya and comes from a Turkish and Sunni family. He started his education at METU Civil Engineering and now he is studying at Sociology Department of Mimar Sinan University.

Ozan Özgenler, in his own words, is “a citizen who tries to bring out the youth, millions of laborers, women, harmonic beauty combined with the voice of the exploited peoples”.

ANF interviewed Ozan Özgenler.

You're one of the youngest of HDP candidates. Why is HDP a party of young people?

The HDP is the result of the struggles from Gezi Park to the 7 June elections, from 1st November to the revolts. It is youth who gives color and creates dynamism in all these struggles. The present political power is in crisis and it would like to make you pay off. The only realistic way out of the crisis for young people, is the program put forward by the HDP. The HDP has realistic approaches to face-to-face problems. They can look at the youth declaration; problems, solutions, sources of solutions.

What kind of program does it offer for youth problems?

Without going into many details, I will say:

* It wants youth to play a very strong role in the political scene, HDP is a front-opening party. It wants youth to make their own decisions.

* If you want youth to be a voice, authority and decision maker in universities, then the party giving this opportunity is the HDP.

* Youth is in permanent debt, all their life is centered on that debt payment. The university is over and still you have to pay the debt and you end up excluding yourself from all social life. HDP is the only party which offers a realistic solution to this problem for young people.

* Young people are being excluded from social life, are isolated, social life areas are being destroyed. The HDP is the party that will give youth other opportunities by providing social life again.

* Youth is going through a cultural repression, is being assimilated, corrupted. Their language is ignored, they cannot receive education in their own language, they start again when they cannot receive education in their mother tongue. HDP is the party that will solve it.

Why should young people trust the HDP?

Behind everything that the government has done is a kind of corruption, a relationship of interest, and we the youth are those who would pay this bill. Young people will have no worries. HDP is there for this.

On your social media account, you publish videos in which you extend microphone to voters. How you do that, what do you ask them, and what answers do you get?

I ask people: ‘If you were to meet a deputy candidate, what would you say to him/her?’ Young people want politicians to be on their side. They think politics is not credible in Turkey. They find it trustable that a politician comes from their own places, drinks tea in the same canteen, walks with them, fights with them. They are surprised, it doesn’t sound realistic, because it does not coincide with traditional politics.

We are aware of the strong bound we are building and we will do all we can to protect it. Together with youth we will express our demands and aspirations. The problems youth talked about are the problems that I myself have experienced. Let's fight together. I tell all young people ‘let’s change with you’. We look forward to your support ...

You are in the 22nd place, do you believe you could be elected?

If elected, we will be in power. During the first debate on candidacy, I suggested my name to be the last. If I am the last name, I will work the most. We never talked about being or not being elected. Whether elected or not, we will continue to offer political solutions. As a candidate who has come out of social struggles and carries responsibility for it, as the voice of people who have paid the price, it is a great responsibility to carry out this work. So, I'm going to tell you that we will work hard from the 22nd place.

How does the HDP work, in general?

Unlike traditional politics, the HDP is a principle party. The other parties are diagnosing an issue, but they do not take any steps towards treatment. What we're doing is a thoroughly intervention. The solution is the centre. The HDP is trying to create a unifying language against the polarization of citizens and is based on solution-oriented politics. This is the base of all our election work.

Do you get reciprocation?

Of course we receive reciprocation. We run the election work with our young friends. There are people who devote their day and night to us. Solution-oriented politics is the proof that our work addresses to our people who are confident and supportive.