In their efforts to solve the Kurdish Question through democratic and peaceful means Solidarity greetings to Peoples Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) 

On behalf of Solidarity with Kurdistan Norway

February 2024 

It is well known that the lack of a political solution to the Kurdish question continues to affect not only the Kurdish people, but all of Turkey and the wider region.  

Since the founding of the Kurdish party HEP in the 1990s and the calls by the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, political forces among the kurdish people have called for an end to hostilities and sought peaceful negotiations between the Turkish government and Kurdish liberation movement. These cals have been met by continued hostility and repression by the Turkish state.  

This repression was seen during the last national election in Turkey, during spring of 2023, when the legal party HDP was obstructed in their efforts to participate with their candidates and to campaign freely. The public opinion and political parties in Norway will closely observe the situation in the period leading up to the local elections in Turkey on the 31th of March. We are alarmed by further attempts to imprison and intimidate candidates and elected representatives of DEM. The situation resembles the outrageous harassment of HDP, in which the former leaders have been imprisoned for six years while still awaiting their final trial, despite demands from the HUman Rights Court of the European Council calling for their release.  

Both the repression of legal political parties, and the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan needs to end in order to restart the process towards a peaceful political solution to the Kurdish question.  

Solidarity with Kurdistan, Norway, will continue our efforts in mobilizing election observers for the March 31th local election, and express our support for the European Delegation organized by DEM for February 19-21th. We are happy to see that Norwegian MPs are able to join in supporting DEMs right to participate freely in the election.  

In solidarity. 

Solidarity with kurdistan, Norway

Truls Offerdahl Strand and Stina Bergsten – Co leaders