HDP calls on political parties to convene parliament for extraordinary meeting

ANKARA

AA photo

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş has made a call to convene an extraordinary parliamentary assembly meeting to take decisions on three topics: the settlement process, Turkey’s policy on Rojava and the foreign policy of the country, including the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Speaking after his party meeting on July 21, he invited pro-peace MPs from other parties to sign this call for an extraordinary meeting. 

Demirtaş said they won’t respond positively to the prime minister’s call for a joint declaration against terror acts, saying they were ready for solidary against terror, but before asking for a declaration the government should first reveal the perpetrators of previous terror attacks.

He cited attacks at the HDP’s provincial headquarters in Adana and Mersin, as well as the twin explosions at an HDP rally in Diyarbakır before the June 7 election, and said none of the perpetrators or their connections had been revealed by the government. 

“Was it so hard to uncover the murderers of those killed during the Gezi resistance? A half day’s work to uncover the instigators, but still there is no progress,” he said.

The HDP has ruled out being part of calls which aim to associate the crimes of the government, he said.
Referring to a joint declaration made between the government and the HDP at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul in February, Demirtaş said it’s meaningless to call for a new declaration before embracing the former one. 

“Mr. Davutoğlu, will you able to stand behind a declaration that you have signed? To what extent do you have the will?” he asked.

The HDP will extend security measure for its party facilities, he said, noting the party will issue a detailed circular for provincial organizations.

Elaborating on the repercussions of the Suruç attack on July 20, which left as many as 32 people dead in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, he said, unfortunately, there were those who applauded and were pleased by the massacre. 

“There is not a touch of humanity in these people. But, we have understood that we, who want peace, are the majority against those who want death,” Demirtaş said.

The HDP co-chair also invited citizens to participate in a mass peace walk in Istanbul this weekend.