Babacan: We esteem dialogue with the HDP

Six opposition parties in Turkey struggle to shape their relations with the HDP (People’s Democratic Party), which would ease their fight against the ruling block ahead of next year’s elections but Turkish President Erdogan’s accusations of being arm-in-arm with “the supporters of terrorism” make it a difficult path for them to follow. 

DEVA (Democracy and Progress Party) leader Ali Babacan on Tuesday once again chose his words wisely when he expressed the need to talk to the HDP, a party mainly supported by millions of Kurdish people but blamed by the nationalist groups to have connections with the outlawed PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), an armed militant group that has been fighting Turkey for four decades. 

“We have a dialogue with the HDP. We appreciate this dialogue. But a dialogue is different than cooperation. That, we will see in the future. But a party which represents an identity can not be ignored” Babacan said, according to DHA news agency. 

CHP (Republic People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu also stated the necessity to take joint action with the HDP, especially when designating a presidential candidate: “There may be different alliances in the parliamentary election. However, it would be more appropriate to have a joint candidate for the Presidency. The joint candidate must also give confidence to all parties that defend democracy,” he told Birgun newspaper last month. 

Turkish President regularly argues that the HDP is a “secret member” of the opposition block. “[the six opposition parties] get tuned up, get a rocket every day by their secret member. Each day someone from the HDP gives them direction, scolds them” Erdogan said last month.