Democracy Movement is uniting with HADEP

Kurdish Observer
20.9.2000

"Democracy Movement
is uniting with HADEP"

The Democracy Movement is making preparations to unite with the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). Member of the administrative board Mehmet Metiner said that the move-
ment had prepared itself for the new period by renewing the program, regulations, and cadres.

NEWSCENTER

The members of the Democracy Movement gathered for a meeting in Ankara on Septem- ber 16 to evaluate their works over the		past ten months. At the meeting, the decision for the Democracy Movement to join HADEP was announced.

In an article that appeared in Yeni Gundem (New Agenda) on Monday, member of the De- mocracy Movement Administrative Board Mehmet Metiner said that the Movement had prepared itself for the new period by preparing a new program and regulations and by renew- ing its cadres. Underscoring the point that the Movement had decided to join HADEP, Metiner said the following: "In the process of Kurdish politics becoming efficacious on a more demo-		cratic and peaceful basis, it has been generally accepted by everyone that there is a need for a serious, influential focal point. It would undoubt- edly make important contributions to the build- ing of Turkish society on the foundations of peace and democracy to have a united, peace- ful and democratic Kurdish political formation as an active element on the political stage in the period of democratic change and transformation ahead.

There is a need for unity

Mehmet Metiner said that Kurdish intellectuals and politicians would need both unity and self- confidence in the period ahead and drew atten- tion to the following: "If Kurdish politics can succeed in establishing itself on a democratic basis of unity, that mentality devoid of self-con- fidence that has been infected to others and which aims to absolutely reduce HADEP to the 'spare' of another party can be overcome. It is one thing to be open to election alliances, it is another thing to continue down one's path with- out allying with another party and give the ap- pearance of a powerless party. Kurdish political		elites must not forget that they will have begun to prepare their end with their own hands from the moment that they begin to give the im- pression that they cannot carry on down the path without others or without leaning on others; because no one deems important those that do not consider themselves important." Metiner said that a a number of parties would undoubt- edly form alliances with a HADEP which be- came an attractive center by standing tall on its own two feet and following correct policies, and added that HADEP would be accepted as a strong "Party of Turkey."