What will the HDP ask from Kemal Kilicdaroglu?

Imprisoned Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas, former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey, explained what his party expects to hear from the opposition’s joint presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu to voice its support against Tayyip Erdogan in the elections set for May 14.

In an article he wrote for the website T24, Demirtas raised questions about the future of Turkey's political landscape, focusing on the relationship between the HDP and the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP.)

"What will the HDP ask for from Kemal Kilicdaroglu? What will be done about the injustices, crimes, and corruption of past years? How will the problem of social polarization and inequality be addressed?" Demirtas asked.

Demirtas reminded that the HDP is not part of the Nation Alliance and has no desire to be, but it wants to hear and be sure whether democratic change will be taken seriously and sincerely if the opposition grabs power in the new era.

He asked several questions about how the new government will approach fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, organization, and demonstration, gender equality, environmental rights, cultural rights, and the right to democratic politics. He also questioned what policies will be put in place for the economy, education, justice, and health and whether the Kurdish issue will be freely discussed and debated in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, society, and the media, and how a peaceful democratic understanding will look at resolving the issue within Turkey's unity.

“The HDP has no hidden agenda or covert plans. It is as clear as water and as transparent as glass. The HDP is committed to Turkey's unity, the democratic republic, working to permanently end violence and is based on negotiation and democratic politics in solving all problems. It respects these principles and meets with and acts with anyone who respects them,” Demirtas said.

If the HDP directly hears the intention, program, and seriousness for providing a democratic political environment, from Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Nation Alliance, they will support it.