Baris, HDP member (Its name has been changed for security reasons) Interview from April 2021
1. HDP is the third-largest party in Turkey, it is now threatened with closure. Do you think it was a political and diplomatic mistake to say “We don’t make you president” to Erdogan?
In my opinion, the political struggle of the HDP is not a wrong choice. The decision we will not make you president is a political choice. Ultimately HDP Turkey is a political movement of the people.
2. Selahattin Demirtaş is the co-chair of the HDP. He is in prison since 7 September 2018 he was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months for a speech, he had made at the Newroz celebration in March 2013. Why didn’t all the other colleagues visited him regularly or make a demonstration for his release? Why did HDP never really stood after Selahattin Demirtaş?
In my opinion, HDP has taken care of Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş. Selahattin Demirtaş is still the co-chair of every one of the HDP, but the current government has made all HDP staff members fined by setting up false courts. Nevertheless, HDP supports Selahattin Demirtaş against all these policies of pressure and intimidation.
3. Since you are doing politics in HDP, I wonder if you are sharing the same policy of PKK and HDP? You know that the HDP and the PKK do not support the establishment of a Kurdish state. What do you think of that?
There is an armed struggle waged by the PKK and this armed struggle wants to establish a great Kurdistan state in the Middle East, but they have to fight the impulse state in the Middle East to know this. YPS PJAK in Iran that Iraq Syria YPG and HPG are continuing the armed struggle in Turkey. However, there is a lack of diplomacy. HDP Turkey, although policymakers and even if I did a regional policy has to address the identity of all minorities living in Turkey.
4. The PKK says that Kurds don’t want their own state. But 45 years ago, they went up in the mountains for an independent Kurdistan, then they changed it to confederation, then they said autonomy but now they are saying we want to bring democracy to turkey we don’t want an independent Kurdistan. What has happened to PKK? In 45 years, they changed 4 times their strategy, what comes next – being a Turkish nationalist?
In my opinion, there is no change in the ideology of the PKK, but it carries out such a policy to get support from other people. The cantons established in Syria will unite with the Kurdistan geography when the time comes.
5. 34 Kurds were killed in the Roboski massacre. There are so many judgments within the HDP. Why did you submit the file to the European Court of Human Rights 2 days late and incomplete, the European Court of Human Rights sent the file back, citing the incomplete and late arrival? You have done the same thing with the Turkey constitutional court. There are lots of lawyers in the HDP, why has such an important subject been neglected, why hasn’t it been carefully considered?
They cannot sue lawyers who are parliamentarians. Files arrived too late due to a complete lack of lawyers. However, the HDP’s Roboski commemoration is held every year and with missing files.
6. Kurdish children do not know their mother tongue. Are you for or against a Kurdish state? If you were for it, why didn’t you mention it during your Career as an HDP politician?
See, HDP defends Kurdish language and literature in every field and insists on the current government that it is included in the National education curriculum as an elective course. Is this enough or not, but for us to make the Kurdish language the language of education, there must be great ownership!
7. In addition, the former AKP deputy chairman Besir Atalay said that MIT founded HDP. Abdullah Ocalan said during the Istanbul elections to support the AKP instead of the CHP candidate Imanoglu. Abdullah Ocalan said to stay neutral which means that the AKP would win. Abdullah Ocalan and the AKP working together so far, HDP and PKK say they don’t want a state, do you think the Kurds have a chance to be national unity in this situation?
HDP did not establish MIT or something. HDP was necessary for Kurds and minority identities in Turkey, and the relevant authorities of the party saw this, and the cords are a word. The games are not over in the Ottoman Empire, they want to divide and rule us, and the HDP has established by MIT, no, this is not the case. It is a party established according to political needs in Turkey.
8. The Turkish state put many HDP MPs in prison. Why did you not leave the parliament as HDP politicians? Why didn’t you made pressure against the Turkish government by leaving the parliament?
In my opinion, if the HDP withdraws from the parliament, it would have accepted the surrender. Did you see that a single elected HDP surrendered to the system? 20 thousand members of HDP are now in prison, only one of them has not surrendered to the system. 10 thousand have been forced to force Europe to the states, yet they did not accept surrender.
9. Do you expect that Kurds of Rojava will have the same future as the KRG?
In northern Syria, in Rojava, the Kurds are slowly moving towards statehood. I see this, the policy of the KRG is more tribal, I do not like it.
10. The Turkish state existed now for nearly 100 years. Ataturk had built this country but just satisfied the minority. His view was, one nation, one flag, one language, one religion, and his slogan was “How happy is that one who says I am a Turk”. We saw similarities during Nazi German and fascist Italy and both were destroyed in the Second World War. Why has this never happened in turkey? After the death of Ataturk maybe the superpower thought fascism will be over soon. The policy of fascist Italy and Nazi German involved expansion and extreme nationalism which we can see in Turkey now. They are dreaming of a Great Ottoman empire, they also invaded Afrin. Why do the UN, Europe, and the rest of the world do nothing about it? They are doing the "Three wise monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?"
Look, fascist Italian Nazi Germany does not have as many games as the Ottomans. Atatürk did not say that there is only one language. Atatürk said that the common homeland an equal citizen, but I said that at that time, the Kurds were given principalities and they put the Kurds in madrasas under the name of religion, and the state ideology was injected into the Kurdish children, and they killed the Kurds. They divided, and ruled, this is the situation.
11. I believe you saw “I am Haks” videos on social media. Where a Kurd in a Kurdish t-shirt speaks to the Turkish youth. Why do you think that the Turkish youth hate Kurdish people so much? What went wrong in their upbringing? We Kurds are not all PKK!
Look, remember this, a society without a state is doomed to oppression. Kurds do not have a state consciousness and Kurds are a community of close to 50 million in the Middle East. And they are stateless, they are just starting to take in the new state culture and state consciousness. Kurdish people really have pure feelings, it is very difficult to explain to a Kurd the Kurdish issue, a people without a state are doomed to wannabe.
12. My last question, why you are doing this all, so many sacrifices you have done. Is there something that happens during your lifetime that you choose to walk this way?
Look, I said the Kurds, they are really an oppressed people. It is true, I am currently on trial for membership in an organization, but I have not done anything illegal as an individual, my only crime is being elected co-mayor from HDP. And because I do not deny my Kurdishness, they are trying to impose penalties of 6 years and 3 months for membership in the organization and membership in the organization. Greetings, regards. I hope I was able to give informative answers.
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