The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Pervin Buldan made a number of statements regarding the situation in Turkey during the party’s group meeting.
She spoke about the earthquake that struck the city of İzmir on 30 October. Buldan sent her condolences regarding the people who lost their lives and their grieving families and friends.
Buldan stated that the İzmir earthquake revealed a sad fact once again: “The reasons that people died lay not in the natural disasters themselves but in the precautions that were not taken, as profiting through unearned income took priority over saving lives”.
Buldan also asked the Justice and Development Party (AKP): “What have you done to prepare for an earthquake here up until now?”
She also asked about monies that were collected as earthquake tax. Regarding the earthquake, she also offered to launch a general debate in parliament over it and to issue calls for the required laws to be passed to effectively address earthquakes.
A political coup
HDP Co-Chair Buldan drew attention to the date of 4 November 2016.
She stated that 4 November was the day a political coup took place against HDP’s Co-Chairs and deputies and added: “Why do we call 4 November the date of a political coup? Because that unlawful hostage-taking operation was carried out against democratic politics and democracy. November 4th is the date that the coup attempt of July turned into a political coup within the hands of the AKP in power. Over 20,000 people including our Co-Chairs, deputies, municipality Co-Chairs, executives and members have been detained and 10,000 people have been arrested in an unlawful way over the past six years. Our municipalities have been seized, one by one. As if that were not enough, we continue to wake up every day hearing news of more detentions”.
The Second ‘East Reform Plan’
Buldan also stated that: “The political coup period was launched with the Destruction Plan which was determined at the National Security Council’s (MGK’s) meeting that took place on 30 October 2014. That plan is the Second East Reform Plan, updated by the coalition rule of the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). It is a plan aimed at institutionalizing fascism and constructing a monist regime. They have implemented that plan in Turkey for six years. They have implemented a ‘siege’ and a coup not only against the HDP but also against all democratic forces and against civil democratic society. We have faced and are facing a plan that has been targeting the whole society as well”.
