The co-chairs of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, have spoken out at the HDP headquarters in Ankara on the recent "coup in parliament". During a parliamentary session on Thursday three opposition MPs had their immunity revoked. A few hours later, the deputies in question; Leyla Güven (HDP), Musa Farisoğulları (HDP) and Enis Berberoğlu (CHP), who had been sentenced to several years in prison, were imprisoned.

Buldan described the action as a "political coup of the AKP", saying; “This coup process has long continued in Turkey and become the regime of the country. The AKP government is trying to become a mindset that strives - by means of repression, force and coup- to rob the opposition of what it couldn’t get and win with elections. In local and general elections, AKP has suffered a heavy blow and defeat, especially in the places where HDP participated in the elections, and it has tried to keep its rule on its feet through repression and fraud. None of the elections won by the government, especially in recent period, is legitimate. Each election was the result of massive fraud in favour of the ruling party. This also applies to local and general elections.”

Remarking that Thursday’s coup was equivalent to 4 November (when HDP co-chairs and deputies were arrested in mass), Buldan continued; “It is not any different from the 20 July OHAL (State of Emergency) coup, or from the coup staged against DEP (Democracy Party) deputies on 2 March 1994. Those claiming to be standing against coups and basing on elections for taking and leaving office, have staged a coup against the will of peoples. The imprisonment of Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları is a coup against the will of the Kurds and the people of Hakkari and Diyarbakır. The imprisonment of Enis Berberoğlu is also a coup against the will of the people in Turkey and Istanbul.

Buldan stressed that AKP would not be able to get what it wants with coups, repression and policy of violence. She stressed that: “We, the democratic forces doing politics in Turkey and co-chairs of the party fighting for the democratization of Turkey, peace and freedom, will never abandon any position we have gained to the AKP. This struggle will continue even if we are one single person left in the parliament. This coup is directed not only against the parliament but also our elected co-mayors. Our municipalities have been seized one by one but our struggle will continue until we have one single municipality left.”

Buldan warned that the AKP fascism and pro-coup mentality will spread to everywhere, exercise influence over everyone and make everyone live in isolation unless all democratic forces fight together. “It is high time to discuss the road and methods of democratic struggle. What has been done shouldn’t be considered as directed against the HDP alone. We do not recognise this coup and express once again that our imprisoned deputies are the will of our peoples. We will never give up our struggle.”

Speaking after, co-chair Sancar pointed out that the government was doing its utmost to eliminate the HDP, adding, “However, what has happened since 7 June 2015 and what happened during the 10 years before that, manifest very clearly the fact that the HDP and its predecessors could not be silenced through these methods. HDP and other parties representing this political tradition could not be made to bend the knee or silenced. HDP will never bow down or give up either.”

Sancar emphasized that these methods will never affect their persistence on democratic politics, and that their struggle will continue increasingly against this pro-coup mindset. “Those who assume that they will make the Kurdish people bend the knee in the person of Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları will be mistaken. The Kurdish people do not give in to such repression, they continue their struggle to the very end, holding their head high. A short look at the history will show this truth.”

Sancar pointed out that the removal from parliament and imprisonment of CHP MP Enis Berberoğlu was also aimed at seizing the will of the people in Istanbul and Turkey. He pointed to the unity and common stance of peoples as the most effective struggle to counter this attempt.

The HDP co-chair said that they trusted their power, their people, the Kurdish people and their determination and resolution. He added; “We trust the determination of Turkey’s peoples, democratic representatives and their commitment.”

Sancar emphasised that neither this political coup, nor the trustee policy should be seen as the issue of the HDP and the Kurdish people alone. He said the joint struggle of Turkey’s peoples was the only way to counter this, and called on all circles to enhance the struggle for democracy, peace, justice and rule of law.

According to Sancar, this coup also targets social peace in Turkey, so he called for an increased struggle for peace in the country.

"The HDP is ready to fulfil all the tasks addressed to it without hesitation. In view of the urgency and the seriousness of the danger that awaits us all, all other democratic forces should also be aware of their responsibilities," Sancar added.

Background

In 1994, the immunity of deputies of the Democracy Party (DEP) was lifted and Leyla Zana, Orhan Doğan, Hatip Dicle and Selim Sadak were arrested on terrorism charges before they were imprisoned for a decade. The reason given for the measure at the time was that the MPs had taken their oath of loyalty in the Kurdish language when they took office. When the politicians were forcibly removed from parliament by the police, the other parties welcomed the events with standing ovations.

During the "coup of 4 November 2016", several HDP members, including former co-chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, were arrested after their immunity had been revoked shortly before at the instigation of Erdoğan.