ISTANBUL - Stating that the president's use of lynching rhetoric instead of answering the confessions of Sedat Peker is a threat to the social opposition, HDP MP Züleyha Gülüm stated that the government, which cannot answer the questions of the public, resorted to the discourse of "homeland, nation and survival".

 

Speaking at the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group meeting days after the confessions of state-linked gang leader Sedat Peker, President Tayyip Erdoğan stated that they were with the Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu and targeted the opposition through the Good Party Chairperson Meral Akşener. Recalling the provocation experienced during Meral Akşener's visit to Rize, the President signaled new attacks and lynchings with the words "They did what they needed there, what will happen more". On the other hand, with the words "bride", "Mr. Meral" and "Mrs. Kılıçdaroğlu" in his speech, the President, who targeted the woman body in a sexist way, reacted from many groups.

 

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul MP Züleyha Gülüm noted that the president's statements pose a threat to social opposition.

 

‘President’s statements threaten social opposition’

 

Stating that all discourses and policies of the government until today are based on "male domination", Züleyha said: "We know with all its practices that the government follows misogynist politics. We know very well not only the speech he made, but the policies they produced, the attacks on women's gains, the decision they took to leave the Istanbul Convention, and how the women's struggle with the Kobanê Trial wanted to be judged. Surprising if you say it is not surprising. On the other hand, it is a threat. It is a threat to anyone who says "no" to the policies of the government." Emphasizing that the president speaks in the language of threat that will pave the way for lynch attempts, Züleyha said: "We all know that when such words come from the government, some people who set their own duties become the perpetrators of violence issues and tend to violence against women. Therefore, he knows very closely where this statement will go and what the consequences will be."

 

‘They don't give account by saying homeland, nation, survival’

 

Züleyha stated that in cases where the government could not answer the questions of the opposition and the public, they applied to the "homeland, nation" issue and used the "attack on Turkey" statement against the allegations made and said: "They do not give accountability by covering up what their collaborators do. When they say homeland, nation, they never cared about the future of society, the people. The government uses these phrases only when it comes to survivability. When they say Turkey, they attempt to distort the issue and cover their own crimes as if the AKP is Turkey."

 

‘We know very well what that investigation is’

 

Reminding that after the confessions of Sedat Peker, the HDP submitted a question to the parliament to investigate the allegations, Züleyha said: "These allegations are not new. We already know these since the 90s. We know the unsolved perpetrators, kidnappings, murder of people under custody. We know that there is cooperation between mafia gangs and state officials. The research proposal we submitted in the Parliament was rejected with the votes of the government. The President says, ‘Necessary investigation will be done on this issue’. We know very well what that investigation is. There is an issue to justify themselves. The judiciary is entirely in power and does whatever it wants. Therefore, we all know that a real justice and investigation will not work out of such a judgment."

 

Züleyha said: "The problem of the government is not society but its survival" and continued: "We are going through a process in which the society needs to establish its own democracy, peace and justice again. The government will try to cover it up. It is up to us to fight against it."