HDP candidate expresses support for women's rights (Turkey)

[theHandpuppet]

I have to admit I know next to nothing about the Kurdish people and what little I do know is a result of the war in Iraq. Can anyone tell me more?

I do hope this guy has at least a chance in the election.

http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/HDP-candidate-expresses-support-for-women-s-rights_1629-CHMTUxMTYyOS8xMDA1
HDP candidate expresses support for women's rights
ISTANBUL - July 25, 2014

Pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chairman and presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş took part in a press conference sponsored by the Association for Education and Supporting Women Candidates (KA-DER) on Friday morning, where he addressed questions concerning women's issues in Turkey and expressed empathy for all oppressed populations in the country.

He opened by stating that he recognizes that the biggest loss of the upcoming presidential election Aug. 10 is that there is no female candidate in the race. He noted that the HDP is clearly supportive of equality between men and women -- 30 percent of the HDP's representatives in Parliament are women, and the HDP has 98 female mayors. He added that there is still more progress to be made towards the goal of complete equality in representation. “If we do not provide equal representation, we will not [be able to] move past male dominance,” he said.

When asked about the issue of nationwide aggression towards women -- over 130 women have died this year as a result of violence against women -- Demirtaş stated: “The negative cultural attitude of identifying women solely by their ‘honor' and acts of ‘honor killing' [in which male relatives or husbands try to restore a family's honor by murdering a woman] is a problem. ... This issue cannot be fixed in one day; it takes time to change a culture. Mainstream politicians should treat violence against women as a priority rather than a secondary issue. If the government does not prioritize this, then women will continue to be murdered.”

Demirtaş also spoke about the difficulties facing minorities, who are often targets of discrimination. Though he is often identified by his Kurdish background, he said he seeks to represent the entire nation rather than just those of his own ethnic group. During the press conference, he stated that his opponent, current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, looks to segregate people by alienating those who do not adhere to his own values....

[potone]

1. He has no chance whatsoever of winning, unfortunately.

Pro-Kurdish parties always lose in Turkey. The current government is likely to be re-elected, despite the increasingly autocratic behavior of Erdogan. It is a pity.