HDP MP Pervin Buldan spoke at the congress of the Democratic Kurdish Community Centre in Frankfurt, calling for continuing campaigning for the elections on 7 June. Buldan said she had last seen Kurdish People’s Leader Öcalan on 5 April, adding that thanks to Turkish President Erdoğan‘s recent comments the ‘process of resolution’ had now stalled.

The congress, attended by hundreds of people, began with a minute’s silence for those who have fallen in the freedom struggle.

‘The government is concerned at the rise of the HDP‘

HDP parliamentary candidate and member of the İmralı delegation, Pervin Buldan, told the people at the congress: “I bring greetings from Mr Öcalan.” The audience responded, with everyone standing and shouting: “Long live President Apo.”

Buldan said the election campaign was continuing in a lively manner, adding that the AKP government was concerned at the rise of the HDP, and was consequently resorting to provocations and smears.

‘The process has come to a halt’

Buldan said of the process of resolution, “The table has lost its authority, after the President said: ‘There is no Kurdish question and no process of resolution’, and was supported by members of the government. The process has therefore come to a halt.”

Buldan said she had last seen Abdullah Öcalan on 5 April, adding that since then communications had been severed. “For us what Mr Öcalan says is important, not what Erdoğan says,” she added.

Buldan called for support at the 7 June elections, saying that if everyone worked hard they could exceed the threshold.

The NAV-DEM representative said that if the assemblies set up in Rojava and North Kurdistan were effective, such assemblies should also be established in Europe.

At the congress elections İmam Erbaşlı and Zahide Ogur were elected as co-chairs and a 40-person assembly was elected.