Başak Demirtaş’s earlier announcement that she would run for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in Turkey’s upcoming local elections was a strategic move to bolster the People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) and her subsequent withdrawal was made in consultation with party members, jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş said on Wednesday.
Başak Demirtaş, whose name was mentioned in the DEM Party circles as a candidate for the mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, has said in her latest statement that she will not run in the March elections.
Demirtaş, whose husband Selahattin Demirtaş has been behind bars since 2016 over terrorism charges accrued during his time as co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), announced that she made this decision after consulting with her party.
Başak Demirtaş became a prominent figure in the ongoing discourse about DEM Party’s election strategy, after the pro-Kurdish party had announced that it had decided to field a candidate for Istanbul, ending a tactic of cooperating with Turkey’s main opposition.
The buzz began following Demirtaş’s statement that she was open to running in Istanbul, depending on the preferences of the party and the public. Although she had not officially filed to run, her statement had become a central focus in the following political narrative.
“I had declared that I was ready to stand as a candidate in order to give strong support to our party’s local election policy. However, as a result of my discussions with our party, we have decided not to run,” Demirtaş said and thanked the DEM party leadership and the public for supporting her in this process.
Selahattin Demirtaş’s message was relayed by Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, the DEM Party’s deputy co-chair for local administrations, and MP Saruhan Oluç, who visited the politician in prison.
Başak Demirtaş’s recent announcement to withdraw his candidacy sparked a wave of disappointment on social media. Selahattin Demirtaş’s message from behind bars provided clarity on the internal decision-making processes of the DEM Party and reassured the public about the collective nature of these decisions.
Speaking to reporters outside prison, Tiryaki quoted Demirtaş as maintaining a positive outlook on politics and emphasised the party’s unity in making such decisions. “Demirtaş gave a clear message that all decisions were made collectively within the party and called on the public to trust its actions,” Tiryaki said.
Oluç shared Demirtaş’s sense of solidarity, quoting him as saying: “We are united with the party, there is no division. No one should pay attention to those who try to sow discord among our supporters.”
