The first day of the HDK (Democratic People's Congress) comes to an end with a feeling of hope and new beginning among the hundreds of delegates who met in Ankara. Tomorrow indeed the new beginning will take the shape of a new political formation, the HDP (Democratic People's Party). Not a replacement of the HDK but indeed its complementary political and electoral tool.

For many who spoke today the most repeated sentence was that today was a historic day for democracy and people's participation in Turkey. The hall, packed beyond expectations, saluted the resistance in Rojava and remembered the young demonstrators who died during the Gezi Park protest.

"The journey to hope", as professor Gençay Gürsoy defined today's meeting, has just begun.

Tomorrow the structures of the new party, the HDP, will be elected. As BDP Mersin deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü (who will joined the new party along with three other BDP deputies) pointed out the party will primarily focus on two basic issues; social rights and democratic rights. The party will continue the struggle for a new constitution which is a must now considering the fact that the government of the Turkish Republic can no longer continue in its current form, as it is based on the elimination of any citizenship [other than Turkish], centralized administration and the concept of "Turkishness". As to the issue of democratic rights, the HDP thinks that a new constitution and law on local administrations, would change and eliminate the current obstacles. In other words, the Mersin deputy said, this means the realisation of a democratic republic and autonomous administrations in the country.