Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, has called on the opposition to unite against Turkey’s authorities.
In his words, the opposition should form a union instead of waiting for the 2023 elections for the alliance between the ruling Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party. In an interview with Reuters, he stated that the People’s Alliance ruling Turkey has denied “almost all of its fundamental principles.” “They do everything to remain at the helm of power. And all of that shows that their political possibilities have diminished,” he added.
In the 2018 parliamentary elections, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party, together received 54 percent of the votes. However, according to recent poll data, support for the Nationalist Movement Party is declining due to Turkey’s economic difficulties and growing distrust of the judicial system. Support for the alliance has fallen to 46 percent, according to polls conducted by 16 companies over the last 3 months.
“One day, at midnight, they illegally kidnapped us from our homes and turned us into political prisoners. We are proud of that,” Demirtaş said. “Those who imprisoned us here have been disgraced.”
Demirtaş faces 142 years in prison. In December, the ECHR called on Turkey to immediately release the Kurdish politician.
