* Photo: HDP
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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was in Turkey's southeastern Antep province as part of the 3rd stage of its "Democratic Struggle Program."
HDP Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış-Beştaş, İzmir MP Serpil Kemalbay and Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu were there to meet people.
Taking the floor first, Kemalbay said, "A government which has driven people to a grave economic crisis and created a Turkey where everyone is in hunger and poverty is trying to cover all of these and hide its failures by starting a war, attempting to occupy or wage a war everyday."
Addressing the crowd after Kemalbay, Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu also stated, "Those who want to hinder politics in Antep province try to stand in the way of the HDP by portraying any legal political effort as illegal in gross negligence. But this is a blind pursuit."
'There is a single person who decides on everything'
Speaking after Kemalbay and Gergerlioğlu, HDP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış-Beştaş briefly said:
"Normally, political parties compete in elections. They talk about politics, solutions and possibilities at the Parliament. But, with the adoption of the Presidential Government System, a totally different climate has been created in Turkey. There is now a one-man rule in the country.
"There is a single person who makes decisions about everything. There is a single person who decides on every issue, ranging from foreign affairs to domestic affairs, from economy to the approach to other parties, from violence against women to the Mediterranean, from why we went to Libya to what they are doing in the northeast.
"It is such a regime that he came up and said yesterday 'I will announce good news on Friday.' Let me tell you this in Antep: The best news would be your leaving. It would be the best of news if you left that palace. There is no better news than this for the people.
"Because people are poor and unemployed, prisons are full, measures are not taken in pandemic conditions, everyone is face to face with death.
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'Our 18 friends arrested in Antep'
"Backed by the law enforcement, judiciary and bureaucracy, he has declared a war against a party. It has nothing to do with the principles of democracy and rule of law or political ethics. There is an operation in a city or district of ours everyday. Even now, an arrest warrant was issued in Muş last night. There is an operation going on in several provinces.
"But what is there in Antep? We talked to our Antep MP Mahmut Toğrul. We are also following this closely. There are operations planned and conducted in Antep so that a party cannot work there. Who can partake in the administration? Who can be the provincial co-chair? Who can work in the commissions? When is the congress and how can we hinder it? How can we weaken the HDP in Antep? They are doing special operations for this.
"And a so-called prosecutor came up and said in Antep 'the so-called party.' Who are you? You can be a prosecutor, but you cannot call a party that represents the people, received so many votes and is the third biggest group in the Parliament a 'so-called party'. But it is for sure that you are a 'so-called' prosecutor. If you were not 'so-called,' you would talk by respecting the laws and the Constitution." (AS/SD)
