We managed to stop the regime in its tracks. In a system like this, stopping the regime in the first round is a result that no one should underestimate. We are faced with a structure that has been in power for 21 years,” said Mithat Sancar, the Co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), in a recent interview with Artı TV.
During the interview, which was aired live on Artı TV’s Election Special programme on Friday, Sancar discussed the election results of 14 May and shared his thoughts on the upcoming second round of the presidential election scheduled for 28 May.
While acknowledging that the opposition had not fully achieved their hoped-for results, Sancar emphasised that the fact that current President Erdoğan had not been able to secure victory in the first round was a significant opposition success, largely attributed to their hard work.
Sancar rejected the notion that the recent election results should be viewed as a defeat, stating, “The fact that Erdoğan, who represents this system, could not be elected in the first round is an opposition success, and this success is largely the result of our work.” He called on the Kurdish population to express their will through voting, urging a high level of participation in the ballot box.
Sancar emphasised the importance of the opposition’s efforts to halt the current regime. He noted, “We managed to stop the regime in its tracks. In such a system, stopping the regime in the first round is a result that no one should underestimate. We are faced with a structure that has been in power for 21 years.”
Sancar further highlighted the significance of the second round of the presidential election, describing it as a referendum on critical matters. He encouraged citizens to exercise their right to vote and not to be deterred by concerns of potential manipulations, emphasising the need for transparency during the counting process. Sancar stated, “The most effective measure against various manipulations by the Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) is for every voter to act as a polling station attendant at the same time.”
Responding to a remark about the campaign group the Oy ve Ötesi (The Vote and Beyond) Association, which had released figures indicating inconsistencies in the election process, being targeted by the authorities, Sancar expressed the importance of observing the counting process to ensure transparency. He said, “Everyone who votes has the right to watch the counting. There is no legal basis for anything like removal of the ballot box or counting away from the people; let our people know this.”
