Press Release, 02.11.2015

YABLKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin has sent a message of greetings on another victory in passing to Turkey’s parliament to Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş and Ms. Figen Yüksekdağ, co-Chairs of the People’s Democratic Party protecting the rights of Kurds.

People’s Democratic Party defending the rights of Kurds obtained 10.8 per cent of the vote at the extraordinary parliamentary elections in Turkey on 1 November, 2015. Thus, Kurds obtained political representation – 59 mandates – in the key legislative body of the country.

“Despite the stuffy atmosphere of hatred, political hate campaigns against you and hard pressure on you from the government, you once again succeeded in passing into parliament and this is a big victory, a victory of even greater significance than that of 7 June. Passing of your party into the parliament means that the Turkish society is finally ready to discuss and seek solutions for the injustice Kurds have had to live in for so many years,” runs Mitrokhin’s letter.

“There has remained global injustice towards the Kurds, the most numerous people deprived of their statehood. Kurds have been facing inhuman living conditions humiliating their national dignity, moreover the people lacks even a minimum autonomy,” Mitrokhin writes.

“The fact that a party defending Kurds’ rights entered Turkey’s parliament represents a major step on the road towards overcoming this injustice. It is the legal political struggle for the rights and liberties, which will lead to broadening of the Kurdish autonomy and observance of the rights of the people, especially in such a difficult situation which has developed in Turkey now,” states YABLOKO leader.

Sergei Mitrokhin has been researching and monitoring the Kurdish problem since mid 1990s.

Turkey’s People’s Democratic Party was established in 2012 with the aim of finding a political solution to the problem of Kurdish autonomy.

People’s Democratic Party was founded in 2012. Its goal is finding political solution for the Kurdish autonomy problem.

On 7 June 2015 People’s Democratic Party obtained 12.9 per cent in the parliamentary elections in Turkey. However, as the ruling Justice and Development Party failed to get a majority and the agreement on a coalition government was not reached, extraordinary parliamentary elections were announced five month later.