The Kurdish movement, which founded eight parties in 33 years, has never stepped back from doing democratic politics even though five of them were closed down. Since 1990, five pro-Kurdish parties have been closed down on the same ground against the HDP. Let’s look at the past and present of the Kurdish parties.

News Center- Five pro-Kurdish parties were closed down on the same ground against the HDP. But the struggle of people who bring the HDP to this day has never ended. The last pro-Kurdish party closed down by the AKP ruling party was the Democratic Society Party (DTP). So what has changed after the closure of the party? Have social and political problems been solved after the closure of the parties? Has the Kurdish issue been solved in a democratic and peaceful way? All these questions are expected to be answered.

Kurdish political movement began after the foundation of the People's Labour Party (HEP) and has continued by founding the Freedom and Democracy Party (ÖZDEP), the Democracy Party (DEP), the People's Democracy Party (HADEP), Democratic People's Party (DEHAP), the Free Party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and finally the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).  The DEHAP and the Free Party dissolved themselves while five other parties were closed down.

HEP – DEP

HEP was founded on June 7, 1990 by seven members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly expelled from the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP).

20 October 1991: 18 politicians from the HEP entered the parliament with the SHP for the general election held in 1991.

31 March 1992: The MPs of the HEP were forced to resign from the SHP and transferred to DEP.

25 June 1992: ÖZDEP was founded against the possibility of the closure of the HEP.

3 July 1992: A case was filed for the closure of the HEP.

4 July 1992: ÖZDEP joined the HEP.

7 May 1993: The Democracy Party (DEP) was founded.

27 June 1993: The first party (DEP) congress was held.

14 September 1993:  The People's Labour Party (HEP) was closed down.

16 September 1993: 14 mayors joined the DEP.

23 November 1993: Turkish Constitutional Court closed the Freedom and Democracy Party (ÖZDEP).

2 December 1993: A case was filed for the closure of the DEP.

12 December 1993: Hatip Dicle was elected as DEP chairperson.

2-3 March 1994: The Turkish parliament lifted the immunity of 13 DEP MPs, Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Doğan and Selim Sadak were sentenced to 15 years in prison.

HADEP

11 May 1994: The People's Democracy Party (HADEP) was founded.

16 June 1994: DEP was closed down.

29 January 1999: The top public prosecutor of the high court of appeals filed a case with the constitutional court demanding the closure of the HADEP

28 June 1999: HADEP chair Murat Bozlak and many HADEP members were banned from doing politics.

18 September 1998:  Ahmet Turan Demir was elected as the chair of the party.

2002: HADEP was admitted to the Socialist International.

13 March 2003: Mustafa Mumin, the chief public prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeal, announced the closure of the HADEP.

DEHAP

24 October 1997: Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) was founded.

11 January 1998: The first party (DEHAP) congress was held and Veysi Aydın was elected as the chair of the party.

9 May 1998: After Veysi Aydın’s membership was revoked by the Turkish Supreme Court he was replaced by Mehmet Abbasoğlu at the first extraordinary congress of the party.

18 April 1999: DEHAP didn’t join the general elections in Turkey.

17 October 2002: Sabih Kanadoğlu, the chief public prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeal, filed a case for the closure of the DEHAP.

13 March 2003: HADEP was closed down.

26 March 2003: 35 mayors who were part of the HADEP, joined the DEHAP.

2 April 2003: DEHAP issued a declaration including proposals for the solution of the Kurdish issue and democratization.

6 June 2003: The Free Party was founded; Ahmet Turan Demir was elected as the chair of the party.

8 June 2003: Tuncer Bakırhan was elected as the chair of the DEHAP at the second extraordinary congress of the party.

29 January 2004: The DEHAP joined the local elections held in March together with the Labour Party (EMEP), the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), and the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) entered an electoral alliance under the name of the Social Democrat People's Party (SHP).

28 March 2004: After the local elections, 56 elected mayors returned to the DEHAP.

19 November 2005: DEHAP dissolved itself at the third extraordinary congress of the party.

26 June 2007: The Free Party dissolved itself.

DTP

9 November 2005: Democratic Society Party (DTP) was founded. Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tuğluk were elected as the co-chairs of the party.

25 June 2006: The first congress of the DTP was held.

16 November 2007: Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya, the chief public prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeal, filed a case for the closure of the DTP.

22 July 2007: The DTP joined the general elections with independent candidates. 20 DTP’s independent candidates were elected to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

29 March 2009: After the local elections, the DTP had 99 mayors across Turkey.

11 December 2009: The DTP was closed down.