“To argue over names would be to deviate from the purpose”

“To argue over names would be to deviate from the purpose”
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Imprisoned Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas identified the upcoming elections as a “historical opportunity” and said all none of the political leaders should exclude others “in this critical time”

"To assess this critical period as a time to share power or posts would be wasting a historical opportunity," Selahattin Demirtas, former Co-Chair of HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party,) said, in a series of tweets concerning the current debate in Turkey to nominate an opposition candidate against President Tayyip Erdogan in next year’s presidential elections.

“We should all aim to hand over this post to its real owner, namely the public. To argue over names means to deviate from this purpose,” imprisoned Kurdish leader said.

He added:

“In this critical period, every political actor who wholeheartedly believes in democracy should take responsibility for the rebuilding of the state. No one has the luxury of excluding anyone. Every political actor, including those under the threat of political ban or dissolution, must be ready for the tasks that will fall on him before or after the election in order for the country to transition to democracy.”

Six opposition parties in Turkey joined forces to nominate a joint candidate who is yet to be chosen, but it is still not clear if pro-Kurdish HDP will support this candidate.

Demirtas concluded:

“The Republic of Turkey belongs to all of us, so we all have a duty to take responsibility and make sacrifices for the benefit of the people. It is our duty to pursue the ideals of freedom, not the dreams to take office. The only way to build the future in a healthy way is to institutionalize full democracy.

Therefore, all parties and political leaders who believe in democracy are a natural part of this process. Now it is necessary to put an end to the vicious discussions and work hard. Now is the time to meet and embrace principles, not exclusion.”