The upcoming local elections in Turkey are being held in a state of continuous conflict under a “fascist regime”, said Besê Hozat, co-chair of the executive council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), in a recent interview with Medya Haber TV.
Hozat argued that the upcoming elections, scheduled for 31 March, are overshadowed by an anti-democratic atmosphere that calls their legitimacy into question. She highlighted issues of centralisation within local government, accusing the system of fostering corruption and nepotism, and noted that municipalities have lost their autonomy as control has been consolidated in Ankara.
Hozat addressed the conflict in Kurdish-majority areas, describing it as a genocidal war and criticising the appointment of trustees in the region as a policy of colonisation and genocide. “There is a war. I mean, there’s no election,” she said, underlining her view that the current conditions render the electoral process meaningless.
Hozat accuses Turkish government of propaganda campaign to attract Kurdish vote
Hozat also dismissed expectations that the Turkish government would launch a new peace process after the local elections. She accused the government of waging an intense propaganda campaign to lure the Kurdish population into supporting the AKP with promises of a solution process that she views sceptically.
“They want to win the Kurdish vote. They say that if they vote for the AKP, a new solution process could start after the elections. They are conducting a very intensive propaganda and perception operation, a special war operation in Kurdistan. This is very dangerous. It is a special war,” she said.
She painted a bleak picture for the Kurds after the elections, predicting an intensified and widespread form of genocidal war: “The only thing the Kurds will experience after the elections will be the expanded and intensified form of the total genocidal war. All the preparations of this government are based on this at the moment”.
However, Hozat also emphasised the Kurdish community’s disbelief in the government’s promises and urged people to remain clear-headed and not to be swayed by deceptive tactics.
Hozat said that Turkey has not only collapsed politically, but also economically and ecologically under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). She accused the government of plundering Turkey’s natural resources and landscapes, worsening an already dire situation.
Hozat highlighted the central role of local government in the current political landscape, noting that the ruling power is attempting to regain control over areas it lost in previous elections. She called on citizens to support democratic and egalitarian candidates and stressed the importance of resisting manipulative political tactics.
