HDP welcomes government’s progress on Kurdish resolution

ANKARA

HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş. AA Photo

The government’s move to endorse the ongoing Kurdish resolution process by establishing a new body has been welcomed by Selahattin Demirtaş, the co-leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), who held a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Oct. 1.

“We deem this a positive step. We believe taking practical steps in line with this move will be to the advantage of the resolution process,” Demirtaş told reporters following the meeting. “We, as the HDP, will support the process through moves both inside and outside of Parliament.”

Demirtaş also shared his observations regarding developments in Kobane, where Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants are attacking Syrian Kurds and the Democratic Union Party (PYD). “We are following the developments with concern. These are incidents that affect all of Turkey and not only the region,” Demirtaş said, adding he received a positive response from the prime minister on this issue.

Meanwhile, a delegation of three HDP deputies, Pervin Buldan, İdris Baluken and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, visited the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan on Oct. 1 on İmralı Island, where he is serving a life sentence.