Concerns of Turkish Kurds Over Erdogan's Continued Rule

Opposition Kurds to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, are worried that his victory in the second round of the presidential elections will strengthen the repression against them; a policy that the Turkish government has pursued for years. According to Reuters, Kurds are concerned about the rise of nationalistic rhetoric in Turkey ahead of the voting on Sunday. Kurds, who make up about one-fifth of Turkey's population, are the hope of Erdogan's opponents to end his 20-year rule. For some Kurdish voters, the danger of Erdogan's victory has increased as he has intensified his nationalistic tone in an effort to gain votes ahead of the second round. Ardalan Mese, a 26-year-old cafe owner in the predominantly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir in southeastern Turkey, who urges his friends to vote, told Reuters: "Voting now is a matter of life and death. Erdogan has hardened his stance on Kurds during the campaign." He said, "I cannot imagine what he will be capable of doing after declaring victory." The People's Democratic Party (HDP) received 61% support in the parliamentary elections on May 15 in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, while Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) received 23%. Nationwide, support for the HDP was slightly below 9%. The issue of the HDP's endorsement of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan's rival, was complicated this week due to his agreement with an anti-immigrant party. The HDP stated that this agreement is "against global democratic principles." Nevertheless, the HDP issued a statement on Thursday supporting Kilicdaroglu's candidacy. An official from the party said at a press conference that they will vote on Sunday to end Erdogan's "one-man regime." In the early years of his rule, Erdogan expanded the political and cultural rights of Kurds. He lifted restrictions on the use of the Kurdish language and oversaw the peace process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group that began an armed struggle against the central government in 1984. Turkey and Western countries consider it a terrorist organization. However, after the ceasefire was violated in 2015, Erdogan changed his course, and Turkish officials began to repress Kurds, leading to the arrest of thousands of HDP members. Detainees were accused of insurgency against the government, and many lawmakers and mayors from this party were dismissed and imprisoned. Erdogan has repeatedly accused his rival of collaborating with terrorism by using the HDP's endorsement of Kilicdaroglu. The HDP has denied allegations related to militants. Erdogan has also drawn public attention to a manipulated video to accuse Kilicdaroglu of connections with the PKK. Since the beginning of the PKK uprising, more than 40,000 people have been killed. Kilicdaroglu has called Erdogan's accusations of his connection to terrorism slanderous. However, Erdogan's positions have been endorsed by a far-right politician in Turkey named Sinan Ogan, who finished third in the first round of the presidential elections with only about 5% of the votes. Ogan has stated that his support for Erdogan means endorsement based on the principle of "uninterrupted struggle (against terrorism)," referring to pro-Kurdish groups. According to Reuters, the use of deep nationalist sentiments is a powerful force in Turkish politics, especially as years of Turkey's hostility toward Kurdish militants and the influx of millions of refugees from Syria since the onset of the civil war in 2011 have intensified these slogans. Critics say that Kilicdaroglu has adopted a disappointingly more nationalistic tone compared to the first round and has promised to return all refugees to their home countries. According to the Ministry of Interior data, Turkey hosts about 5 million migrants, of which 3.4 million are Syrians. Kilicdaroglu has also stated that Erdogan "sat at the table with terrorist organizations," referring to the failed peace process with Kurds. Some have expressed concern that Erdogan has achieved his goal by using "black propaganda," meaning claiming a connection between Kilicdaroglu and terrorists, and Kilicdaroglu's response has caused many Kurdish voters to lose their willingness to vote before the second round, blaming the change in Kilicdaroglu's tone. Critics fear that the statement made on Sunday by the Minister of Interior, accusing a group of Kurdish lawyers of connections with the PKK, could be a sign of new repression. However, it remains to be seen what impact the new statement from the HDP, issued on Thursday in support of Kilicdaroglu's candidacy, will have on Kurdish participation.