Osman Baydemir, the spokesperson of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), held a press conference in Diyarbakır province, where HDP members and supporters stage a "conscience and justice watch” until the anniversary of its lawmakers’ arrests.
He made a call to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying “Like in the past, the fascism of this period will also decline. There is still a possibility. Erdoğan, apologize to [HDP co leader] Demirtaş. You will see that this wrongful course can turn into goodness, a way out can be found. Do not insist in fighting. Because no one will win this.”
Criticizing the government, he said "You will declare state of emergency, you will seize people's bread with executive orders, you will destroy the peace and negotiation table, you will create a new ruling power with deaths, conflicts and blood, you will isolate Mr. Öcalan [Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of armed PKK group] who is one of the greatest actors of peace. So we will continue to object to it”.
HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ and nine deputies from the party were arrested over their alleged links to armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The first arrests were carried out on Nov. 4, 2016, and continued in the following months.
