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Turkey’s left-wing Labour and Freedom Alliance led by the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), is kicking off its series of mass rally on 15 January in Istanbul, as part of its electoral campaign.
The Labour and Freedom Alliance expect a high turnout for its first joint rally under the banner of “Say no to poverty, war and oppression”, to be held in Istanbul’s Kartal Square on Sunday.
The meeting will focus on Turkey’s deteriorating economy, crisis with the justice system, and policies of war under successive Justice and Development Party (AKP) governments, as well as the growing crackdown on the opposition, in particular on Turkey’s third-largest party HDP as Turkey inches toward parliamentary and presidential elections, which will be held in June the latest.
Turkey’s Constitutional Court (AYM) ruled on 5 January to temporarily block HDP’s access to Treasury funds as part of the ongoing closure case against the party. HDP will not be able to access the 4.5 billion lira ($240 million) Treasury support it was allocated for 2023.
People don’t have to choose between the ruling alliance or the main opposition’s, HDP’s Istanbul Provincial Co-Chair Ferhat Encü told Evrensel on Wednesday. “In this rally, we will show that we resist all oppression as the othered in this society and loudly voice our objection to all policies of isolation and war, as well as the exploitation of labour.”
“We are up for the challenge to solve Turkey’s problems, and our alliance can bring peace, equality and freedom to this country,” he said.
The Labour and Freedom Alliance was formed in August 2022 as the third electoral alliance in the country by six left-wing and socialist political parties including the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), Labour Party (EMEP), the Labourer’s Movement Party (EHP), Social Freedom Party (TÖP) and Federation of Socialist Councils (SMF) and HDP.
Turkey’s upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections will be held in June 2023 the latest.
HDP was expected to back the main opposition’s Nation Alliance in the run for president, but the LFA recently announced it will put up its own candidate. However, the Republican People’s Party-led (CHP) Nation Alliance needs the support of Kurdish voters if it is to have any hope of winning presidential elections against incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who will stand for his government’s People’s Alliance.
