The People’s Alliance, led by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has turned into ‘a Taliban Alliance’ and the 14 May elections could be the last for women in Turkey, jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş wrote on Monday.
The alliance has become “the most right-wing, the most regressive block in Turkey’s political history”, said Demirtaş, pointing out to the addition in recent weeks of the Kurdish Islamist Free Cause Party (Hüda-Par) and the Islamist New Welfare Party (YRP) to the People’s Alliance, which also includes the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Great Unity Party (BBP).
“They have dragged the country to the edge of destruction. They have neither any novel narrative nor new solution. If they win the elections despite that, all the responsibility lies on the opposition,” said Demirtaş, former co-chair of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP).
Opposition parties must use all their energy to develop concrete projects on basic issues like the reconstruction of cities, economy, democracy justice, agriculture, tourism, education, and health, said Demirtaş, adding that they should also warn society about the dangers, of what he calls, the Taliban Alliance.
The HDP is the main target of this Taliban Alliance, said Demirtaş, in an article he penned in prison. “They have chosen the HDP as their enemy. The HDP should be careful, sensitive, and should explain to all Turkey its party programme and solution policies throughout the campaign period using the most reasonable rhetoric without compromising common sense,” he said.
“This might be the last election, especially for women,” said Demirtaş about Turkey’s 14 May general elections. “Because the Taliban Alliance will first roll up its sleeves to seize the rights of women. Therefore, women should come forward as the leading force of upcoming elections and should put their colours, their mark on these elections,” said the politician, adding that he hoped all opposition parties would impose a 50 percent quota for women in their candidate lists.
An opposition victory in elections will pave the way for a period of change, said Demirtaş, noting that this will not mean all of Turkey’s problems will suddenly be solved. But, he noted that if the opposition loses the elections, on 15 May “Turkey will wake up to a Taliban regime”.
Demirtaş asked, “Will the Republic of Turkey, during its second century, look like Afghanistan or Switzerland? You will be given the answer to this question because you are the ones holding the stamp,” he told voters in Turkey.
