CHP's Alp: Since when has it been considered a crime in this country for Kurds to serve on municipal councils?
CHP Kars Deputy and member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly's Justice Committee, İnan Akgün Alp, made statements regarding the upcoming trial of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer in Silivri. Alp asked, "Since when has it been considered a crime in this country for Kurds to serve on municipal councils?"
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In his press statement, Alp stated that the legal aspects of the case would be discussed in court tomorrow, noting that he wished to draw attention to the political dimension of the case.
"The indictment in this case file has not been seen during the September 12 era, in martial law courts, or even in the specially authorized courts during the FETÖ era. This indictment is a document aimed at sabotaging the process," said Alp, emphasizing that the accusations in the indictment are baseless.
Pointing out that the "urban consensus" strategy is being criminalized in the indictment, Alp asked, "Urban consensus means that Kurdish voters in western provinces support candidates they can reach an agreement with, even if they cannot win, and are thus represented in municipal councils. Since when has it been considered a crime in this country for Kurds to serve on municipal councils?"
Alp stated that if the indictment is accepted in its current form, the same logic should be applied to Parliament:
"How many Kurdish deputies are there within the AK Party? Where were these deputies elected from in the western provinces? Is this representation a crime?" he said.
"If Ahmet Özer is not released in this case, we will have to demand the resignation of over a hundred AK Party Kurdish deputies, starting with Bekir Bozdağ," said Alp, expressing that such a mindset is unacceptable.
Alp concluded his remarks as follows:
"With this case, they want to divide our people on an ethnic basis. This mindset is racist. Turkey does not have time for this. Our people want peace, brotherhood, and the right to representation. Neither the votes nor the political representatives of Kurds or Turks can be criminalized. We hope that Esenyurt Mayor Mr. Ahmet Özer will be released from this case, reinstated to his post, and that the practice of appointing trustees will be ended."
Thanking the members of the press, Alp invited all citizens to stand on the side of justice and democracy.