VAN – HDP’s co-chair Serpil Kemalbay describes Turkey’s political atmosphere as ‘fascism’ and told all political identities should left aside for common struggle. “ The main task of everyone should be stopping the fascism” told Kemalbay.



HDP’s (Peoples’ Democratic Party) co-chair Serpil Kemalbay visited the ‘Conscience and Justice Watch’ of HDP in Van and spoke to dihaber.



* Izmir took over the ‘Conscience and Justice Watch’ of HDP from Van after Diyarbakır and Istanbul’s stages. Can you make a remark about oppressions and blocks during last three watches in Diyarbakır, Istanbul and Van?




We had pushed the limits to overcome greats blockades in these three cities. Democratic policies’ limits were removed after June 7 Election’s result. Tayyip Erdoğan had told ‘ I let you conduct the march and you did it” for Justice March of CHP (Republic People Party). We began to justice watch under these conditions. It is a new action and we could reach to a huge society. Almost all democratic fronts had supported the watch. Intellectuals, artists, unions attended the watch in these three cities. Thousands people visited the march in Istanbul despite blockades and barriers. But the hardest and the most isolated stage was in Amed. Van was very good. We received thousands visitors in Van despite pressures. We will keep continue this struggle by conducting protests on the streets and public meetings.



* Side of power states ‘ People didn’t support the watch’. Did you obtain to your goal, what was your plan?




We decided to conduct this watch whatever they do. We did good much more than we expected. You remember they didn’t even let us take blankets in the park of Amed. Lawyers’ togs were seized in Istanbul. But people resist to support the watch with a great solidarity. We had liberated the parks. The parks became a stage for people where they can express their self.



*You are in the park of Van for justice watch but your part’s members and executives are taken into custody in Van. Also a lawmaker is released and another is jailed. What do you think?




This is became a peace of our ordinary life. We weak up with operations every single day. Our the most dynamic friends are taken into custody before we go to the watch. Youngs are taken into custody and jailed. Our law commission is the most working commission of the party.



*What does government aim with this?




The aim is closing the party by arresting our members and executives. They don’t want to write down the story ‘ HDP was closed’. But they want to make empty the party from inside. We are talking about a party which elected by six millions people and became a hope for peoples of Turket. Look around you. There is a only thing that gives hope to society which is our party and its principles. There is a huge trust and value to HDP by peoples. That’s why it has become a party which scares the power and supported by peoples. They might have paramilitary groups, police and soldiers. But it is impossible to end people by those. Because HDP is a people’s movement.





* There are many discomforts, unjust treatments and injustice. Also there is a demand from people to opponents party to gather on the same base. Is there anything you want to say about this?




Parliamentary is completely non-functional. There is also removing immunity problem. CHP has role on this. But CHP also was exposed to this unlawful decision. Then CHP started to think that ‘There is no way left in the parliamentary and we go to streets’ which was right decision. But we should have went out the streets when 301 workers died in Soma. Also we had many common issues today much more than before.



*Do you expect an early election before 2019?




Erdoğan seeks legality. We are facing with a country which is run with State of Emergence and decrees since more than one year. The biggest and fourth biggest parties of parliamentary declared second and third biggest parties of the parliamentary as guilty and criminal. They try to polarize people by this policy. Constitutional amendment was conducted questionable and they want to have early election.




They only can run this country and this system with prisons and weapons. Therefore there is no legality. If 30 people are kept in four capacity cell in prison then there is no legality anymore in this country. But they will decide for early election after they receive election polls.



Sedat Yılmaz/Mahmut Ruvanas/Özgür Paksoy - dihaber