Turkey’s Main Opposition Seeks Electoral Breakthrough Among Kurds | VOANews

CHP parliamentary candidate Sezgin Tonrakolo, meeting with Diabrica Merchants, speaks of his party's 30 years of electoral failure in the predominantly Kurdish region. THE CHP not only distanced itself from Kurds, but also is a political party that did not say anything about their fundamental problems using a negative discourse towards them. With our policies under the leadership of our chairman, we have come to a point where we recognize them, show solidarity with them and find solutions to their basic problems. The CHP is the party of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, who cracked down hard on Kurdish uprisings. The latest conflict between Kurds fighting for minority rights saw the CHP largely silent on human rights abuses and opposing calls for minority rights. But under its leader, Kamal Kalichta Olu, now a presidential challenger, that stance changed. He's pledging democratic reforms.

Still, analysts say the CHP will struggle to overcome its past. It is very difficult for CHP to become a political force in the region again. However, it must be acknowledged that CHP has taken important steps in this regard. And Kamal Kalichta Olu has brought about significant changes. We see that there is a tendency towards CHP among young people and voters who will vote for the first time. Kalichta Olu has secured the backing of the region's main pro-Kurdish party in his presidential bid, with opinion polls giving him a strong lead in the region over incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Tanruk Olu, a Diarbakir native and as one of the city's most prominent human rights advocates, is drawing support for his parliamentary bid, even among skeptics of his party.

Diarbakir's vote is obvious. People's opinion is very clear. Even though he is with CHP, he is Diarbakir's own, and one vote from every household will go to him. As some observers see it, the CHP has a real chance of winning parliamentary representation from the Kurdish region. For Tanruk Olu, it has been a long journey. Since 2010, I received so much criticism from my circle and friends. Many of my friends reproached me as to why I joined this party.

Now almost all of them have come to the point of voting for Kalichta Olu, and I would like to think I played a role in this. Analysts say winning parliament seats in Diarbakir and other cities in the predominantly Kurdish region would break the grip of Erdogan's AKP and pro-Kurdish Green Left Party, and thus change Turkey's political landscape. Doreen Jones for VOA News, Diarbakir. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan, turkey election