The Turkish government has no project for the Kurds that will not cost blood and tears, said Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chairman of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, at a rally in Siirt (Sêrt) on Saturday ahead of the local elections scheduled for 31 March.
In his speech, Bakırhan slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his pro-war policies and criticised the Turkish government’s portrayal of Kurds.
“Mr Erdoğan, the place you call Terroristan is Kurdistan,” said Bakırhan, challenging the narrative that portrays Kurdish-populated areas as centres of terrorism. He emphasised their demand for democracy, freedom, equality and legal recognition of the Kurdish language, which has been spoken in the region for thousands of years.
Bakırhan’s comments came after Erdoğan last week outlined plans for an imminent military campaign in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
“We are making preparations that will unsettle those who think they can undermine Turkey with a ‘Terroristan’ on its southern borders,” Erdoğan said, using a play on words reminiscent of Kurdistan.
Highlighting the wider implications of the Kurdish question in Turkey, Bakırhan referred to Abdullah Öcalan’s efforts for peace and dialogue between 2013 and 2015 and urged the government to resume talks to resolve the Kurdish question.
Bakırhan’s speech also addressed the issue of government-appointed trustees in Kurdish-majority municipalities, which he described as an attack on the will and democratic rights of the Kurdish people.
The DEM Party co-chair also criticised the use of security forces and the relocation of voters to manipulate election results in Kurdish areas. He vowed to counter these tactics by mobilising legitimate voters.
Encouraging the people of Siirt and Kurds across Turkey to actively participate in the electoral process, Bakırhan invoked the memory of Kurdish martyrs and political prisoners and urged unity and dedication to their cause. He concluded by entrusting the community with the responsibility of supporting the DEM Party representatives, signalling the importance of collective efforts in the upcoming elections.