Kurdish Political Movement in Turkey

[4][5][6] In the context of Turkey, this movement is being pursued by democratic means through left-wing ethnic political parties, as well as through PKK affiliated militant groups.

Their 2007 report highlights the fact that while pro-Kurdish parties have consistently acquired the highest percentage of votes in areas the Kurdish population is concentrated in, they have failed to reach the national 10% threshold.

[11] Since 2015, Kurdish-interest parties, starting with the HDP, have been able to poll above the threshold in general elections by successfully courting Turkish leftists.

After surviving a closure case in 1999, HADEP was finally banned on 13 March 2003 on the grounds that it had become a "centre of illegal activities which included aiding and abetting the PKK".

[29] The European Union released a statement, expressing concern over the court's ruling and urging Turkey to change its policies towards political parties.

Gültan Kışanak, the BDP co-chair, released a statement saying that "we will not vote against the amendment and prolong the life of the current fascist constitution.

"[31] Due to the boycott Hakkâri (9.05%), Şırnak (22.5%), Diyarbakır (34.8%), Batman (40.62%), Mardin (43.0%), Van (43.61), Siirt (50.88%), Iğdır (51.09%), Muş (54.09%), Ağrı (56.42%), Tunceli (67.22%), Şanlıurfa (68.43%), Kars (68.55%) and Bitlis Province (70.01%) had the lowest turnouts in the country, compared to a 73.71% national average.

[32] During the June 12, 2011 national elections BDP came up with a new strategy to tackle the 10% issue, which brings the question of free representation by requiring that parties need 10% of the vote to be represented in parliament, and formally joined forces with the left, green, and various minority groups to run joint independent candidates, naming this electoral alliance the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Bloc.

HDP since has been the current agent representing the Kurdish movement in the Turkish political arena, and it unites various political movements pertaining to an array of social minority groups and civil society organizations, which have previously mostly failed to be represented in parliament, to secure a stronger vote.

[36] HDP's participated in its first election by nominating Selahattin Demirtaş for president, he received 9.77% of the vote, the best result for a Kurdish political party in Turkish history.

[37] By courting both Kurdish nationalists and Turkish leftists, the party received 13% of the vote, well above the 10% threshold, causing the AKP to lose its majority mandate for the first time since its creation.

In 2018, Kurdish MPs successfully ran under its banner again, and for a second time the party nominated Selahattin Demirtaş as its presidential candidate.

[citation needed] In the lead up to the 2023 general election, the Constitutional Court charged the HDP with having links to the PKK.