GFTU BGCM Minutes 2017

not form a government. He was pissed off, he was very angry with us!

(Laughter and applause) Then he did not accept that election result and he said that we are going to do another election. November 1 st was the election’s

date. Between June and November there was a lot of pressure on our party,

our party members. Our buildings were attacked by nationalists. Who was

behind the attacks? It was AKP and Mr. Erdoğan. We could not have any

meetings with the people, we could not campaign. A lot of our members have

been arrested at that time.

But it does not work. He wants to push us under the threshold, but on

November 1st we took 59 MPs. We said, “Hello, we are here again!”

(Laughter) and after that in Turkey there was an attempted coup which failed.

Mr. Erdoğan was very happy, because he says that it is God-given. He

declared a state of emergency all over Turkey. Since then he is ruling Turkey

with emergency decrees since then. Whatever he wants he does. A lot of

people have been suspended, have lost their jobs – academics, journalists.

Whoever he sees as a threat to himself or to his party, they find themselves in

prison.

After that, there was a referendum on April 16th. They changed 18 of the

articles of constitution. Is it to bring us democracy? No. The emergency

decrees, Mr. Erdoğan wants to continue to rule the country by himself, just one

man rules. Because of that they changed the constitution, 18 articles, which

gives all the power to Mr. Erdoğan. We do not have democracy any more. It is

a dictatorship, it is fascism, it gives all power to just one man, Mr. Erdoğan.

The judiciary power, it is in his hands. Executive power as well. Parliament

does not have anything to do any more. Whenever he wants he can say,

“Okay, I cancel the Parliament, we are going to election”, whenever he wants.

Part of this is because of Rojava. You know Rojava? North of Syria and PYD

and YPG, they are resistance against ISIS. It has changed everything. Mr.

Erdoğan and the Turkish State does not want Kurds to get their fundamental

rights, their basic rights. It was not started with Mr. Erdoğan. It has been going

on for over 100 years. Whenever we ask for our rights, they shoot us, they put

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