Preliminary results reveal that Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party has achieved remarkable victories in three metropolitan, seven city, 59 district and eight town municipalities despite widespread allegations of electoral malpractice.
At a press briefing on Sunday evening at the party’s headquarters, Tuncer Bakırhan, the DEM Party’s co-chair said, “These election outcomes demonstrate our victory and the government’s defeat. … Those endeavouring to sideline the Kurds have lost the country. The Kurdish populace has reiterated their commitment to a democratic resolution.”
Despite the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) allegedly transporting at least 47,000 military and police voters, the DEM Party has secured a significant number of municipalities within the Kurdish territories of Turkey. This triumph sends a powerful message from the Kurdish community, often the target of election campaign disparagements and threats of new trans-border military actions.
The DEM Party’s electoral success encompasses three metropolitan municipalities: Diyarbakir (Amed), Mardin (Mêrdîn), and Van (Wan), along with additional victories in seven other cities, 59 districts, and eight towns. These achievements not only recapture territories lost in the 2019 elections but also represent inaugural victories in locales such as Muş (Mûş), underscoring the party’s expanding clout and the endurance of the Kurdish political movement.
Furthermore, the DEM Party accused the AKP of attempting to skew the election outcomes in Şırnak (Şirnex) and Bitlis (Bedlîs) through illicit practices. In Şırnak, the AKP is alleged to have utilised “illegal voters”, launched assaults on both electors and officials, detained numerous individuals including the party’s provincial co-chair, and encircled the party’s premises to force an electoral result not reflected by the voter turnout.
In Bitlis, similar tactics by the AKP aimed at securing electoral victory through deception have been reported, including the detention of protesting officials and legal advisors.
While the results in Bitlis and Şırnak remain under dispute, the sweeping wins of the DEM Party at multiple municipal levels signify a momentous leap forward for Kurdish political representation in Turkey.
Statements made by DEM Party MPs and officials on election day underscored the import of these results.
“The two-decade dominance of the AKP, characterised by martial strategies, discrimination, antipathy towards Kurds, and economic regression, has concluded. With the looming prospect of an early election, a shift in governance is on the horizon, affirming the adage: those unable to address the Kurdish question will find themselves resolved,” Sezai Temelli of the DEM Party said.
Ahmet Türk, a veteran Kurdish politician and the newly elected DEM Party Co-Mayor for Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, depicted the election results in Kurdish regions as an affirmation of the will of the Kurdish community, stating, “Today served as a referendum on the Kurdish people’s determination to uphold their will. The electorate has confirmed their steadfastness in their decisions.”
