HDP candidate Demirtaş decries lack of representation

ANKARA

HDP’s presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş (R) attends a press conference after his meeting with DİSK leader Kani Beko (L). AA photo

None of the three presidential candidates is representing a profile that could convince 100 percent of all voters in Turkey to willingly vote in favor of him, presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş has acknowledged, putting the blame on the system which requires support from 20 members of the Parliament in order to be able to run in presidential elections.

“One would wish procedures for nominating candidates to be much more expanded and people could be able to nominate their own candidate without needing signatures of the 20 lawmakers from the Parliament; what is appropriate and democratic is this [way],” Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) co-leader Demirtaş said, running in the presidential elections, said during a visit to Kani Beko, the leader of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK).

Earlier this week, when reminded of the prospects for having an independent Kurdish state through separation of Turkey, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said: “If needed, we would get arms in our hands for not having Turkey separated.”

“A sentence which is used carelessly,” Demirtaş responded when asked to comment on Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks, adding that the remarks were leading to a misperception as if there is a serious danger of separation in Turkey.