HDP politician Özgür Zeydanoğlu spoke to ANF in Van about the impending ban and his party's strategy. Zeydanoğlu is a member of the HDP's party council and sees an important message in this year's Newroz events in Kurdistan and Turkey; “Millions of people expressed on March 21 that the Turkish state's decomposition plan against the Kurdish movement, launched in October 2015, has failed. Despite the massive repression over the past seven years, the Kurdish people have brought forth their demands in an unambiguous way and declared that they are not willing to give up any status.”

Zeydanoğlu stated; "In the foreground was the demand for the lifting of the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan. The Kurdish people have taken a clear stance against the campaign criminalizing their democratic institutions and political representation. It is worthwhile for all sides to properly understand the message of Newroz. This message must be taken into account."

The process of banning the HDP lacks any legal basis and is exclusively politically motivated, Zeydanoğlu further explained: "The closure process was initiated in order to exclude our people from the political equation. This has been attempted several times before. However, the HDP is more than a party name. It has millions of voters and tens of thousands of active members. We don't think the closure will change that. Our people stand up for their party everywhere. There is a debate about what will happen if HDP is banned. There is no legal justification, but the ban can be made by a political decision. The government's arbitrary measures are well known. Nevertheless, the Kurdish people will not allow themselves to be pushed out of the political arena."

"It's not about elections, it's about the struggle"

Zeydanoğlu emphasized that his party is about more than elections: "Against polarization at the political level, there is a need to expand social struggles. The most important function of our party is the struggle for democracy and participation in building a democratic life. Elections are important, but not the only method in this struggle. We have the claim to initiate social change. Therefore, electoral success is not our only goal. With or without elections, our struggle is growing and we will continue it. We define ourselves as a 'third way' and strive to cooperate with all circles that are not intrinsic to the system. Great results will come from this. That is already obvious."