Left parties from the Asia-Pacific region have spoken out in solidarity with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the third largest party in the Turkish parliament, now in the process of being banned by the dictatorial Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regime.
The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) issued a statement on March 19, strongly condemning the ban proceedings against the HDP.
“The threat of banning HDP came after years of repression of the democratic opposition forces in Turkey.
“On March 17 2021, the top public prosecutor of the high court of appeals filed a case with the constitutional court to demand the closure of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the third largest party in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which received close to six million votes in 2018 general election.
“The proceedings to ban HDP came on the same day that the government stripped HDP parliamentarian Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu’s of his status as a member of parliament.
“After the outrageous impeachment of many Kurdish mayors since 2019 and removal of a number of HDP parliamentarians from their positions, the Turkish authorities are now moving to ban a democratic party which millions of people voted for.
“This is unlawful, undemocratic and a violation of civil and political rights. It shows that the authoritarian regime of Erdogan wants to clear his main opposition out of the way.
“For four years, former HDP leader Selahattin Demirtaş has been innocently in prison, like so many opposition figures, members of parliament, mayors and journalists.
“We call on the Turkish authorities to immediately halt the ban proceedings, stop the repression against the HDP and release all HDP elected representatives from prison.
“We stand in solidarity with the HDP in their fight against this repression.”
The Socialist Alliance in Australia also condemned the banning move against the HDP in a March 19 statement:
“Socialist Alliance Australia has long expressed our solidarity with the People's Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey and we stand again to condemn the latest attempts by the authoritarian Erdoğan regime to ban the party.
“The HDP represents an important voice for justice, democracy and freedom in Turkey and needs to be heard, not stifled. The long-running campaign of repression by the Turkish regime is an affront to democracy and needs to be resisted everywhere.”
“Turkish authorities, using dubious excuses, have arrested and imprisoned numerous elected mayors and parliamentarians and party leaders. The HDP has strong support in the Kurdish-majority areas of Turkey and the government's repression is an attack on the democratic rights of the Kurdish minority.”
The Alliance also called on the Australian government “to immediately make a public statement calling for release of HDP representatives from detention and in opposition to the Turkish government's attempts to ban the HDP”.
From the Philippines, the Party of the Labouring Masses (PLM) issued a statement on March 20 condemning the ban proceedings against HDP as an “affront to democracy”.
“We stand with the HDP,” said the PLM statement. “We call on the Turkish authorities to immediately halt the ban proceedings, stop the repression against the HDP and to release all HDP elected representatives from prison.”
The People’s Democratic Party (PRD) of Indonesia sent a letter to the Turkish embassy in Jakarta on March 20, condemning the ban proceedings against the HDP.
“For four years, the former HDP leader Selahattin Demirtaş has been innocently in prison, like so many opposition members, members of parliament, mayors and journalists. We call on the Turkish authorities to immediately halt the ban proceedings, stop the repression against the HDP and to release all HDP elected representatives from prison.”
From Pakistan, Farooq Tariq from the Haqooq Khalq (People’s Rights) Movement also sent a message of solidarity with the HDP.
Socialist Aotearoa from New Zealand, the Working People’s Party (PRP) of Indonesia and the People's Liberation Front (JVP) of Sri Lanka have also expressed their solidarity with the HDP and condemned the Erdoğan regime’s moves to ban the party.