These attacks, coming at a time when the ruling coalition partners are losing votes, boosted the support for HDP. The latest polls show its support has doubled from 6% to nearly 12%. However, this may increase the vicious attacks by the government forces and its street thugs since their key opponent is gaining strength.
Turkish coalition government increased its anti-democratic assaults against all opposition as its voter support recedes.
HDP, the progressive, pro-Kurdish, pro-Peace party, is in the crosshairs of Erdoğan as it is the tiebreaker in the upcoming elections.
The progressive party already lost 14 members when the government imprisoned them with bogus charges. The president of HDP is in prison and spent years behind bars, not even knowing the charges against him. After studying his case, the European Court of Human Rights ordered his immediate release. However, the AKP party and the president are refusing to obey the law.
The government is trying to jail HDP representative Gergerlioğlu this time. Two days ago, his status as a member of the National Assembly was annulled, opening the way to prosecute him in the government-appointed courts before sending him to prison. His crime is retweeting a news item from a legal, legitimate internet news/commentary site.
Another HDP representative from the Iğdır province, Habip Eksik, joined the press release of his party yesterday to denounce the attack on Gergerlioğlu. When Eksik took the microphone to read the press release, the police surrounded him and announced, “The press release is finished,” and prevented him from speaking. The police then threatened the participants to disperse immediately.
In another anti-democratic move, the AKP government started proceedings to shut the HDP permanently. A recent Erdoğan appointed loyal prosecutor, taking his orders from the events surrounding HDP, began the investigation that would lead to the party’s closure.
These attacks, coming at a time when the ruling coalition partners are losing votes, boosted the support for HDP. The latest polls show its support has doubled from 6% to nearly 12%. However, this may increase the vicious attacks by the government forces and its street thugs since their key opponent is gaining strength.
Discarding the police attack to his press release, the HDP assembly member insisted on reading the statement behind the police barricade, saying, “Even if I am surrounded and left all by myself, I will read my statement to my people.”
Sendika.org News (MB)
