Peace and Democracy Party is everywhere in the southeast

ŞÜKRÜ KÜÇÜKŞAHİN

I have been covering the campaign rallies of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) head Selahattin Demirtaş, from Siirt to Norşin, and saw that the different world set up there is there to stay.

The first observation for those who cover the BDP is the effect created by the “co-chairperson” model, because the BDP’s campaign signboards are the only ones that portray men and women together in Turkey.

The model, which will be put to the consent of the people, confesses a huge achievement on behalf of women, because it will mean that decisions will not be able to be implemented without the consent of women. In addition to this, the mayor’s salary will be shared equally.

Challenging the AKP

This is the first time in the elections that the BDP is not feeling the heavy pressure of the state bureaucracy. There is no tension with the police in their rallies.

Another important first is the fact that they are explaining the services provided by their own municipalities. Demirtaş makes comparisons everywhere, especially with the Justice and Development (AKP) municipalities, and explains the BDP municipalities are more successful by giving examples.

In Siirt, he stressed that there was no house left without water, and no street left with mud.

I asked, “Is that true?” He said, “If even one street resident tells us the contrary we will start internal questioning about that mayor,” he said.

Demirtaş addressed huge crowds in Siirt and Bitlis.

In Siirt, the BDP will get the municipality; I can even say, with a little bit of exaggeration, that almost all of the voters were in the rally. The party can also take the municipality from the AKP in Bitlis.

Compared to previous elections, it seems that the BDP received the support of larger families and crowds, and therefore there is only a small possibility for them to lose the municipalities that they already control. We can say with confidence that they could win many more new municipalities, because the BDP seems to have motivated centers where it was not very strong in the past. “We will nullify the AKP,” claims Demirtaş, adding, “we will definitely get Muş, Ağrı, and Mardin.” He is also very hopeful about Şanlıurfa.

No more obstruction on the presence of ‘Öcalan’s figure’

The BDP will also do very well in Eastern Anatolia as a whole, according to Demirtaş. I have to say that this is a bit exaggerated, but nevertheless in the southeast it will not be a surprise to see the BDP winning everywhere. Abdullah Öcalan’s figure makes its presence felt without any obstruction in BDP rallies, where one can see that the BDP has also succeeded in getting in touch with the AKP electorate.

All the slogans, banners and signboards feature Öcalan.

Demirtaş’s main theme is the poverty in the region, and he says that those in power are lining their own pockets. He also criticised on the basis of religion. Demirtaş is an influential politician on the Kurdish electorate; his rhetoric and stance have found support and he has an overwhelming weight among the youth. With a strong taste of polemics, Demirtaş easily moves the masses and keeps the crowd alive and motivated. He is also successful in comedy, “There are tons of euros and dollars in the prime minister’s house, which his son Bilal needs to liquefy. Poor Bilal, he only had to work one day in his life and was exhausted from carrying dollars and euros,” he says. After the laughter, the crowd began raising shoe boxes.

“They are harming Islam, ethics, society and justice,” said Demirtaş.