PKK Intimidation of the Population in Southeastern Threatens the Early Elections

As Turkey prepares for early elections in November, Bayraklı predicts that the votes of MHP and CHP will not change in regard to the 7 June elections. However, a slight increase of the votes, about 1-2 percent, may result for AK Party. Regarding HDP, Bayraklı assesses that it may lose votes and the main reason behind this are the PKK attacks. After the elections we have seen a HDP which did not comply with its pre-election promises of being a kind of legitimate political force in Turkey which supported peace.

Bayraklı emphasized the fact that during the 7 June elections PKK intimidated the population in Southeastern territories of Turkey where the participation in the elections was 100 percent out of which HDP won 100 percent (a situation that is not so possible in democratic elections). Accordingly, the government needs to secure the electoral process which would grant to the citizens their democratic right of suffrage.

Talking about the provisional government before the early elections, Bayraklı stated that only AK Party, HDP and some independent ministers will be part of it. However, the serious ministries may not be given to HDP considering its tight relations with PKK which would affect more the difficult security situation that Turkey is facing.