In his statement before the May 14, 2023 General Elections, former Minister of Internal Affairs Süleyman Soylu explained the alliance with the Hür Dava Party as "state wisdom" and admitted that the alliance was a strategic move, saying, "What would we have done if we had left HUDA PAR to that side?" The party mentioned by Soylu is once again on the agenda before the upcoming March 31 local elections.

 

The Hür Dava Party emerged on the political scene in the 1990s as the political wing of Hizbullah, known for its hogties, torture, and attacks with cleavers and vitriol. Many politicians and journalists were murdered by this organization in the 90s. Kurd politician Mehmet Sincar and journalist Cengiz Altun are just two of these names.

 

Although Hür Dava Party executives made statements that "we have no relations", they nominated many names tried in the Hizbullah case as candidates in some cities in the upcoming local elections. In addition, many staff of the Hür Dava Party consist of the organization in question. The massacres carried out by Hizbullah against Kurd politicians, writers, intellectuals and journalists in the 90s continued in the following years, with the Hür Dava Party acting as an apparatus of the government in attacks on social protests.

 

The government and its media are making intense efforts to make the Hür Dava Party look "cute", especially in the cities of Kurdistan, as the elections approach. At the top of these cities is Urfa. Urfa is one of the cities where Hizbulkontra murders occur most.

 

'I RECEIVED THE NEWS OF HIS DEATH THE DAY I GOT THE INVITATION.'

 

Mustafa Mesut Tekik, who fought for labor at Petrol-Iş Urfa Branch during the period when Hizbulkontra and Gendarmerie Intelligence and anti-terror unit (JITEM) carried out massacres in the city, is a first-hand witness to what happened. Mustafa Mesut Tekik, who currently serves as the Provincial Co-Chair of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), said: "The 90s correspond to our youth years. I witnessed hundreds of events, hundreds of pains during that period. I was also the victim. We worked together. Habib Kılıç, whom I loved like a brother, was murdered two days before my wedding. As soon as I sent him an invitation, we received the news of his death, and Mehmet Sincar was murdered on my wedding day. Of course, we lost hundreds of our friends, relatives by that structure, whose perpetrator was known and the state took under our wing." 

 

'THOSE MURDERED WERE TRADESMEN, JOURNALISTS AND FARMERS'

 

Reminding that 7 people were murdered in just one day in the 90s, Tekik stated that hundreds of patriotic Kurds were murdered outside the mosque, in the middle of the street and in front of their homes. Noting that the images of the lifeless bodies of the murdered people lying on the ground are still vivid in our memories, Tekik said: "We will never forget that our friends who worked to raise their children were attacked with cleavers in their faces. Pig ties, those who were kidnapped and tortured for days, those who were tortured and held underground for a year... Which one should we name? Cengiz Altunlar and hundreds more... All of those murdered were civilians, tradesmen, taxi drivers, imams, farmers, journalists."

 

'WE WILL NOT FORGET'

 

Noting that their anger and pain revive every time what happened is discussed. Tekik said: "We are expected to forget these, we are expected to format our memories. People who have lost their children, mothers and children are expected to forget these pains. Such a thing is not possible. When this issue is brought up, each of us becomes angry, sad, and goes back to the past. We are going into that pitch darkness. We are expected to forget those attacks, of course we will not. Of course, we do not bear hostility towards anyone. We also want the Kurds to live in peace and tranquility. We even want the Turks and the Arabs to live in peace. Of course, we want them to have good neighborly relations with the Persians and for the Kurds to be at peace. But we must not be expected to forget those years. Especially for what happened in many places, especially Urfa, Farqîn (Silvan), Qosêr (Kızıltepe), Nisêbîn (Nusaybin), Amed, without giving a self-criticism of those years. Such a thing is not possible without an apology to the Kurds."

 

Drawing attention to the state-Hizbulkontra relationship, Tekik said: "When Habib Kılıç was murdered, me and two friends went to Sirin Hacı Sirin Mosque to buy a coffin. The people there asked us, 'Who are you buying this coffin for?' We said for Habib Kılıç, but they were not given a coffin. We were talking about the Hizbullah organization, and they did not deny this. Many Hizbullah prisoners have been released in the last 7-8 years."