Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Sezai Temelli held a press conference while celebrating their first Parliament group meeting.

Buldan and Temelli evaluated the results of the 24 June elections.

Buldan pointed out that this was not an election celebrated on legitimate terms and added: "We have achieved a great success despite our presidential candidate Salahattin Demirtaş being in prison and this election has been contested under State of Emergency (OHAL). Overcoming the 10 percent threshold was a great success. We thank all the people of Turkey for giving us their vote.”

The HDP co-chair and deputy stressed that the message coming was clear, “the people don’t want a Parliament without HDP, the people don’t want Turkey without HDP.”

Pervin Buldan then added that: “At such a time when the AKP-MHP fascist coalition has prevailed, there is a great responsibility on us. Our struggle will continue."

First evaluation point by point

Co-chair Sezai Temelli added that meetings are going on with the various components of the HDP and highlighted the common points:

1. First of all, we would like to thank everyone who has been with us during this campaign. We would like to thank those who have not voted for us, but have struggled for a safe and sound election, those who displayed common sense in the face of provocations such as the terrible incident in Suruç and attempts to terrorize the election process.

We have received the messages of those who voted for HDP and we will continue our struggle with a political line that will not disappoint them. We have also received messages for those who spared their votes or who hesitated for some reason; we will pursue our efforts to win their hearts and support by eliminating our shortcomings and weaknesses.

And a very special thanks to all peoples of Turkey especially the Kurdish people who have been insubmissive and said no to persecution and devotedly worked and struggled despite all the difficulties, oppressions.  

2. The June 24th elections were held in the shadow of the state of emergency, under unfair and unequal conditions, in an environment without democratic legitimacy. The electoral turnout cannot be the indication of democracy or legitimacy.

Despite all the difficulties, HDP has passed the election threshold. HDP has become the third party in parliament in terms of the percentage of votes it received, and in terms of the distribution of seats in parliament.

3. Our Presidential candidate, Selahattin Demirtaş, came third despite totally unequal and unfair conditions, after all, he carried out his election campaign from prison. For the first time in the history of world politics, a presidential candidate campaigned from prison, and as a political hostage. Arbitrariness and unlawlessness must be ended and Demirtaş, who has received around 4.5 million votes, must be released immediately.

4. The picture of our first evaluations of numerical data sheds light on what we should do in the following days:

Compared to the November 2015 elections, our vote share has risen in total 725 thousand votes. In Istanbul and İzmir, it has passed the level reached at the 7 June 2015 and HDP became third party. Also in other western cities, the obtained results are either higher than the June 7 or November 1 elections. In Antalya and Kocaeli, where we lost a deputy on 1 November, we compensated our loss and a great success was achieved in Hatay, where we won our first deputy. We advise those who claim that HDP is not a political party representing the whole of Turkey to look at these results. 

We also recommend that they should look at the parliamentary composition in terms of women’s representation. The current picture of the parliament is clearly male-dominant. The only exception is HDP, whose 26 candidates have become members of parliament, even if equal representation has not been achieved within its own group. We realize that it is a shortcoming in achieving the goal of equal representation and we will  focus our work on this subject in the following term.

5. However, we regret to express that in the Kurdish cities we couldn’t reach the intended vote levels with losing around 120 thousand votes. This result was due to the heavy pressures, relocation of some ballot boxes, forced migration, high amount of invalid votes, barring of our political activities and observers, detention of our provincial administrations and party members and intervention to the elections by the whole administrative and military structure of the state, and the deep arm of the state in favor of the People's Alliance and particularly the MHP.

But we are not going to make any excuse out of these obviously negative circumstances. Despite everything we see the results in this region as our own failure.  

6. The election results also showed that the peoples of Turkey affirmed with their votes that a parliament and a real struggle for democracy and justice cannot be without HDP. They said there cannot be peace, democracy, a new life and pluralism without HDP. 

We are aware that those votes have been cast not just for HDP, but HDP's values and democracy struggle. HDP voters also clearly support a strong parliamentary regime, a strong local democracy, rule of law, independent and impartial judiciary. HDP will continue to do its best to be worthy of this endorsement and to shoulder the accumulation of Turkey’s 150 years of democracy struggle.  

7. Another goal of the HDP in these elections was to prevent the institutionalization of the one-man regime. Unfortunately, this goal couldn’t be achieved partly because of the Nation Alliance's timid and anxious attitude regarding the development of democratic opposition. But what is clear is Turkey can only go on by carrying onward its democratic struggle and not by institutionalizing fascism and one-man-rule. Ballot boxes can never be used as the means to legitimize fascism.

8. Despites its shortcomings and failures, we aim to continue our campaign by linking it to the March 2019 local elections. Once again we emphasize that it is vital to act sensitively, tenderly and organized without forgetting that we live under conditions of fascistic oppression, where even the slightest mistake can prove costly.

The democratic social opposition must trust itself; by reinforcing solidarity, it must be locked on new targets without being overwhelmed and withdrawn. The election process has brought out a positive synergy, and nobody has the right to waste it. This motivation can be maintained with the right policies and committed steps. For democratization and to solve the Kurdish problem in Turkey, social democratic opposition forces should combine their powers on the basis of common principles.

9. Those who voted for HDP know that we have survived to this day by resisting and struggling, and we will continue to exist by resisting. Particularly Kurds and all peoples and democratic forces of Turkey will be the social opposition of the new era and keep struggling against the one-man-regime. An arbitrary and irregular regime that gathers legislative, executive and judicial powers in one place, lifts the separation of powers, makes balance and control mechanisms ineffective, renders jurisdiction partial and dependent, and violates all democratic rights and freedoms for the purposes of governing power cannot be accepted.

The AKP has lost its majority in Parliament by losing more than 2 million votes in both the east and the west of Turkey. The AKP is now forced to a minority government and a coalition. On the other hand, the 16-year AKP rule has in fact created profound social, cultural, urban, ecological destruction. An economic crisis is now only a matter of time. It is very likely that a new belt-tightening package will be imposed on our peoples. The HDP considers fighting against the efforts to burden a heavy weight on working class as one of its priorities.

10. The alliance and the power line that will change the one-man regime will set the stage for the democratic developments of the future. As HDP, we are committed to assume an active and bold role and mission. We will not bow down to any threat regardless of where it comes from. We will succeed in this with the policies we will develop for democratization and the solution of social problems.

In this context, HDP will take its place at the front line of the democracy block. With its activities and struggle, HDP has nurtured the courage and hope against the fear empire that the AKP has been trying to create. HDP has been the building force and locomotive of democracy and the peace struggle, and will remain so in the future. HDP is the home of hope, and the assurance of a democratic future.