Turkey will be holding a new round of parliamentary elections in less then 5 months after the elections held on 7 June. High Electoral Board has announced: “We can make it on time”. Meanwhile, the conflicts, bombings and retaliation attacks, that started after the suspension of the resolution process by the government prior to the elections on June 7, are still going on. People are being killed. The kids, youngsters and people at all ages are being killed; causing the greatest of all grieves to their loved ones. Cities are under blockade. Funerals are not allowed on the basis of “security reasons”. Neither our bodies nor our corpses are safe now…
How the elections will be safeguarded under these circumstances? How it will be secured that people all over from Turkey can cast their vote with their free will? What will be the safeguards for democratic elections? How it can be guaranteed that an electoral government composed of members of the previous governments and its bureaucrats will ensure that the electoral preparations are democratically handled?
Elections are amongst the most crucial tools of democracy, only if they are held under democratic conditions that allow the reflection of the free will of electorates. Otherwise, they only serve as window dressing for the quests of, seats and power. And become only the reflection of despotism.
It is of utmost importance that the elections take place safely in all electoral territory, with no exception. Legitimacy of the elections relies on the existence of democratic conditions and peace atmosphere. Therefore, there is an urgent need to end the conflicts, abolish the blockades, and initiate peace negotiations. The ongoing state of public emergency should urgently be abolished in the cities of concern and a peaceful and democratic resolution should be sought via involving all related social groups.
We – the women struggling for justice, equality and freedom- hope and insist for peace. We will never give up on struggling for peace. We will not keep silent on the losses of lives while weeping tears on each others’ pain. We will not give credence to attempts triggering conflicts, discrimination and hate speech. At the elections, we will once again let everyone see what kind of a country and a parliament we long for. We will not let others to use our lives as a political battleground.
Peace: right here, right now, for democratic elections!
Women’s Coalition
September 15, 2015
bilgi (at) kadinkoalisyonu.org
