Even Sweden’s right-wing and conservative Moderate Party, who supported AKP for years, is protesting the AKP-MHP’s human rights violations and attacks against Kurds, as well as the expected left-wing politicians.

Moderate Party politician and Gävle City Council Woman Makbule Colak said her party is distancing itself from the AKP government with the Turkish state attacks against Rojava, their hostile approach to the HDP and Kurds and the increasing human rights and freedom of expression violations.

Colak spoke to the ANF before the local elections and said the AKP and Erdogan have implemented nationalist policies with their alliance with the MHP and that they have no tolerance for even the slightest criticism.

ERDOGAN MAKES PEOPLE INTO ENEMIES

Colak pointed out that Erdogan has declared anybody who thinks differently to be enemies: “Every day he speaks of one state, one nation and one flag, insulting other ethnic backgrounds and faiths. When he accuses anybody who doesn’t think like him and anybody who opposes the AKP-MHP alliance of being a terrorist, one cannot speak of freedom of expression or democracy.”

Colak said there is democracy and freedom of expression only for supporters of the AKP-MHP and added: “When people opposed to the injustice and unlawfulness in the country voice their concerns, they are dragged through the courts and eventually imprisoned. Over 10 former MPs and some 50 mayors, who were elected by the people to represent their will, journalists and academics are behind bars, and in such a country nobody will believe there is democracy or fair elections.”

CREATED AN ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR

Colak said politicians from all parties in Sweden are concerned deeply for Erdogan’s accusations of the opposition and the human rights violations he causes, and that they voice these concerns clearly:

“It is impossible for any election to fully represent the will of the people where AKP and Erdogan have created an atmosphere of fear and people refrain from voicing their opposition with concern for their safety.”

Colak had worked as an observer along with Benny Gustavsson and Simon Johansson during last year’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on June 24. Colak and other observers had been met with obstacles and were detained by the police at one point.

SPEAKING ABOUT THE PRESSURE AND FRAUD SHE WITNESSED

Colak said they had visited Tatvan last year to observe the elections, and spoke about the pressure, fraud and irregularities they witnessed:

“There were many soldiers and village guards in front of the buildings where the ballots were placed. Women and children were afraid to go outside. The only ballot workers were from the AKP and MHP. We asked why there were nobody from the other parties, and they said those people did not show up. The opposition had nobody at the polls due to the atmosphere of fear.”

PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM VOTING FOR HDP

Colak said the events of the election would be completely unacceptable in a democratic country. Colak said, “This is a dictatorship,” and continued to speak about the fraud and pressure she witnessed:

“The envelopes cast in the ballot boxes were not closed. They did everything they could to prevent people from voting for HDP. Some villages where HDP gets a high percentage were not sent any ballots to run the election. So the people’s right to vote was suppressed. They pressured us the observers a lot too. They insulted my Swedish colleagues. They were saying things like, ‘Why are these people here? They  should go back to their own country’ and used terrible slurs.”

Colak said the observers were not allowed into the area where the votes were counted, that they were detained after the elections and held in custody for 6 hours, and that after they were released the police followed them into Amed.

THEY WANT TO PREVENT THE OBSERVERS FROM COMING

Colak said the Turkish state is pressuring and intimidating observers to prevent European observers coming to Turkey and Kurdistan and added: “The allegations that HDP members defend FETO are absurd. Despite all propaganda and preventions I think HDP will prevail in these elections.”