In the face of regional wars, growing repression, and increasing social impoverishment, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları reaffirmed the demand for a political reorientation in Turkey. Speaking before her party’s parliamentary group on Tuesday, she emphasized: “Our fundamental focus is the call for peace and a democratic society.”
Referring to the escalation in the Middle East, Hatimoğulları spoke of a destructive war dynamic. “Death poured from planes, drones, and missiles, and the result is thousands of civilian casualties, destruction, poverty, and suffering,” she said. While welcoming the current ceasefire between the United States and Iran, she stressed that it must be transformed into lasting peace: “The ceasefire must become permanent and turn into a just peace.”
“They want the people of the region to fight each other”
Hatimoğulları also warned against further militarization in the region and sharply criticized international actors. She said the peoples of the Middle East are being set against each other while external forces pursue their own interests. “They want the people of the region to fight one another while others implement their plans step by step,” she stated.
The DEM Party co-chair also used strong words for the Iranian regime, saying repression against its own population further deepens the crisis. “Governments that suppress their own people in such a situation lose their legitimacy. Kurds, women, and opposition forces in particular are affected by arrests and violence. Demands for freedom and equality must not be met with repression,” she stressed.
Social crisis, poverty, repression
Hatimoğulları also sharply criticized the political situation in Turkey. She called for an end to the dismissal of elected mayors through state-appointed trustees. The population, she said, clearly demands the restoration of democratic rights. The government should finally take these demands seriously and allow independent assessments of the political climate in the country, she demanded.
A central focus of Hatimoğulları’s speech was the social crisis. She rejected the government’s attempts to explain economic problems through international developments. “Is war really the only reason for the problems we are experiencing?” she asked. While global oil prices have fallen, they have risen sharply in Turkey. A dramatic increase is also evident in food prices and production costs, she noted.
The DEM Party co-chair was particularly critical of economic policy: “If you can manage the effects of a war, why can you not control fertilizer prices? Millions of people are suffering from poverty and rising living costs. The minimum wage has lost significant purchasing power within just a few months. The minimum wage shrank by nearly half even before April.” Hatimoğulları called for the minimum wage to be aligned with real living conditions and adjusted multiple times a year. Women in particular are affected by precarious working conditions and are often forced to work below the minimum wage.
Gülistan Doku and Rojin Kabaiş
Hatimoğulları also spoke about unresolved cases of disappearances and violence. In the case of Gülistan Doku, she said, a new step has been taken, but many questions remain unanswered. “Who created this darkness? Who has protected it all these years? All those responsible must be held accountable,” she said. She also called for full clarification in the case of Rojin Kabaiş: “What happened to Rojin? Who is being protected and why?”
Hatimoğulları also commemorated the victims of the Anfal genocide carried out by the Iraqi Baath regime and described the crimes as a deliberate policy of extermination against the Kurdish population. “Even if the world forgets, we have not forgotten this pain and we will not allow it to be forgotten,” she said. Recognizing the massacre is a matter of justice, she added.
Lift the ban on demonstrations in Taksim
In conclusion, the DEM Party co-chair called for mobilization on May 1. The day, she said, represents collective resistance against exploitation, oppression, and discrimination. “May 1 is the day of solidarity of all the oppressed,” she said. She also demanded the lifting of the ban on demonstrations in Istanbul’s Taksim Square: “The Taksim ban must be lifted.” The DEM Party, Hatimoğulları emphasized, will continue its course: “Whatever happens, we will continue our path for peace and democracy.”
Leave a Reply