HDP youth launch campaign against drug addiction, prostitution and corruption

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Council announced their new campaign against drug addiction, prostitution and corruption at a press conference in Sur district of Amed on Friday.

The press conference was participated by members of the Free Women’s Movement (TJA), district organisations of the HDP and Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Dicle University Student Solidarity and representatives of various NGOs.

The declaration of the campaign against drug addiction, prostitution and corruption was read in Kurdish and Turkish languages.

Pointing out that young people became the main target of political power, the statement said the following:

“In the metropolises of Kurdistan and Turkey, vicious policies have been targeting the youth. These policies intervene in all living spaces of the youth, and canalise the youth into specific areas through state apparatus. Due to special war policies, the youth have been alienated from their own social reality and led into the swamp of drug addiction or espionage. Prostitution and drug addiction have critically escalated in the country, especially in the Kurdish territories. In almost every street, there has been drug trafficking and prostitution.”

The statement also expressed reaction to the police ignoring drug trading, and added, “Due to the latest security policies, armoured vehicles are deployed at almost every corner, the streets are full of night-watchmen and police officers, and every inch of the cities is monitored via surveillance cameras 7-24. The ongoing activities of drug trafficking and prostitution despite such security measures can only be explained with the connivance of security forces.”

“While the state deploys thousands of police officers for even a smallest demonstration, it never intervenes in drug trafficking in public spaces,” said the statement and continued:

“These policies intentionally and consciously lead the youth into these swamps. Neighbourhood residents and the Youth Council, who attempted to stop this state of affairs, standing against these policies, have been blocked by the police officers. Moreover, through media channels, a dependent and corrupted life has been imposed on the youth. Series and programs broadcast on television and internet channels normalize mafia relations, drug addiction and prostitution. These policies aim to create a youth who are alienated from social reality, senseless, unaware and disorganised.

The youth who are unaware of their history and social reality cannot lead a social struggle. Therefore, the youth need to be involved in the struggle with an organised power more than ever. We have the power and consciousness to accomplish this, as successors of a tradition that accomplished this quite a lot times in history. We will build our future ourselves.”