Under curfew, Kurds have no choice but autonomy, Demirtaş says

VIENNA – Doğan News Agency

AA Photo

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş said Kurds had no alternative but to declare autonomy in an atmosphere where deputies were not permitted to enter southeastern towns by governors, speaking at a rally in Vienna on Aug. 26. 

Recalling that several HDP deputies were prevented by the governor to enter the Yüksekova district of southeastern Hakkari province recently, Demirtaş said, “There has been a massacre since yesterday in Yüksekova; [deputies] have been waiting to enter Yüksekova for around 10 hours now. But the governor, who was appointed by the [Justice and Development Party] AKP closed down the entrance with armored vehicles and TOMAs.

“Our deputies received almost 90 percent of the votes in Hakkari. But the governor says they cannot enter the city. Now I am asking you, what else can Kurd do but to declare autonomy [from Ankara]?” Demirtaş told the rally in Vienna during his visit.

Speaking on the Nov. 1 early election, Demirtaş voiced his confidence that the HDP’s success in the previous election would continue.