HDP pledges to force out ‘oppressors’ in upcoming local election in Turkey
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) released their campaign song on Thursday, saying the time has come to drive the "tyrants" and "oppressors" out of Turkey, and announced some candidates in Diyarbakir.
"The blocks and avenues belong to us. Neighborhoods and cities belong to us … The time has come to beat them and break restrictions. Expel the tyrants and oppressors," goes the HDP tune.
Scenes from the video show Kurds dancing through the streets of cities, towns, and villages.
The party has previously stated that they will regain Kurdish municipalities which were taken away by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after HDP officials were imprisoned and replaced with pro-AKP trustees in 2016.
The HDP and AKP are in fierce competition in major Kurdish cities like Diyarbakir (Amed) where AKP has failed to win in the past. The province is now governed by such a trustee.
The HDP announced the names of some of its candidates for the March 31 provincial election on Thursday in Diyarbakir.
Officials from some other Kurdish parties, which have joined forces with HDP, were also present at the event.
“We delivered a very strong message in this city today. Our people did not leave us alone as usual. Our morale was very high today,” HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan told Rudaw.
There was a positive and upbeat atmosphere at the event, despite the bleak past four years.
“There was very strong hope and belief in today’s ceremony,” HDP candidate Ziyad Ceylan told Rudaw.
Another party candidate, Ahmed Turk, told Rudaw they hope the alliance with other Kurdish parties is not limited to the election.
“This is a good beginning, not only for the election, but also for the future of Kurdish issue and politics,” he said, hoping this will bring about more dialogue between the parties.
Adnan Selcuk Mizrakli is an HDP parliamentarian in Diyarbakir but he has been nominated to run for the province's governor. He claims that he will prove the Kurdishness of Amed.
"Amed is a Kurdish and Kurdistani city. We will do our best to revive Kurdish culture which has been restricted by the trustees," he told Rudaw, referring to the AKP’s appointments.
He added they will wear traditional Kurdish clothing as part of the revival.
Many potential voters say they care about public services most of all: "Everything is useless without services,” said one resident.
HDP, previously the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), won 97 mayoral posts and 1,404 councilors in 2014 local election, mostly in Kurdish cities in southeast Turkey, equivalent to 6.29 percent of votes.
