The 13th General Assembly of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), organised with the slogan “With hope, with resistance, all together to freedom”, continues with the speeches of the participants.

Speaking here, Kurdish politician Sebahat Tuncel said that HDK set out 13 years ago with the banner ‘Journey to hope’.

Sebahat Tuncel said, “Enough with fascism, femicide and ecocide. Hope is in us, we must see this power in ourselves. Even the main opposition sees the solution in the government. There are still those resisting all over the world. Yes, we are going through a historic process. This was also the case when HDK was founded. At that time, we said ‘Journey to Hope’. Since the past dialogue process developed in favour of freedoms, the state undermined that process. There is a new process today. We must be brave about this because we want democracy and a free life with women's equality. The most important way to do this is peace.”

Hatice Deniz Aktaş, Co-Chair of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), emphasised that the current process is marked by significant risks and important opportunities. Underlining that organisation is extremely important for the oppressed, Hatice Deniz Aktaş said: “HDK is an organisation model in which demands for bread and democracy are rising. In this respect, the HDK programme and statute is a step towards a united struggle from Gezi to Rojava. HDK has a great meaning in this sense.”

Can Güneş, speaking on behalf of the Commune magazine, said, “Revolutionary, patriotic and democratic young people need to be together.”

Kezban Konukçu, Istanbul MP of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), speaking on behalf of the Socialist Solidarity Platform (SODAP), stated that Abdullah Öcalan had proposed the HDK as a solution force and said, “That is why I send greetings to Mr Öcalan. We see in the HDK the most important way for internationalists to stand by the Kurdish freedom movement in the democratic political field. While the oppressing and the oppressed nations live together, it stands as a very important plan and model.” Kezban Konukçu drew attention to the importance of joint struggle.