HDP co-chair suggests AKP should use ‘May God forgive me’ as election slogan

DİYARBAKIR

AA Photo

It would be better for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to use the slogan “Tövbe Estağfurullah” (“May God forgive me”) rather than “Bismillah” (“In the name of God”) for its upcoming electoral campaign, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş said on Sept. 24. 

Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) ruled to ban the AKP’s planned campaign jingle for the Nov. 1 snap election, on the grounds that “Bismillah” is a religious term and thus legally cannot be used for electioneering.

Speaking to reporters, Demirtaş touched on the recent resignation of HDP ministers from the interim government, saying it was a “joint decision” and the text of their announcement was drafted together. 

“Our party joined the government to show that we are not part of a situation lacking solutions. But the AKP did not endorse anyone else,” he stated.

Meanwhile, responding to claims that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) forced locals in some southeastern provinces to vote for the HDP, Demirtaş called on citizens to inform the party if anyone is forced to vote for it out of fear. 

“Nobody should vote for us out of fear. Nobody should insult the voter. If anyone says they voted in fear, they should tell us so that we can do whatever is necessary,” he said.

The HDP co-chair also said the constitutionally impartial President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan should continue his controversial “election campaigning,” just as he did before the June 7 election. 

“Last time, we defeated both you and the AKP,” Demirtaş said.