Democracy Party (Turkey)

For the Iranian reformist group, see Democracy Party (Iran).

Political party in Turkey

Democracy Party
Kurdish: Partiya Demokrasiyê
Turkish:  Demokrasi Partisi, DEP

Leader| Leyla Zana
President| Yaşar Kaya June 1993–December 1993
Hatip Dicle December 1993-June 1994
Founded| May 7, 1993 (1993-05-07)
Banned| June 16, 1994 (1994-06-16)
Preceded by| Freedom and Democracy Party
Succeeded by| People's Democracy Party
Ideology| Social democracy
Kurdish rights
Socialism
Federalism
Separatism
Political position| Centre-left

* Politics of Turkey
* Political parties
* Elections

The Democracy Party (Turkish: Demokrasi Partisi, DEP, Kurmanji: Partiya Demokrasiyê) was a pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey founded on the 7 May 1993.[1]

## History

[edit]

Ahmet Türk, the former chairman of the People's Labor Party (HEP) and most of the former MPs of the HEP joined the party after its first party congress on the 27 June 1993. As the first party chair was elected Yaşar Kaya.[1] The party decided to launch a peace campaign focused on the Turkish Kurdish conflict which would take place from the 2 August to the 1 September 1993.[1] The campaign was prohibited by the Turkish authorities and the events that have been planned in Diyarbakır and Batman were canceled.[2] And on the 17 September 1993 Kaya was arrested due to his participation at public event in Germany as well as the congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Iraq.[2] He was released on the 8 December of the same year and Kaya fled to Germany.[2] On the 12 December 1993[3] Hatip Dicle was elected the new chairman.[4] Dicle was a known supporter of the PKK and demanded it be viewed as a political party and not a terrorist organization.[5] The party became divided over the issue of the PKK, and two factions - moderate and radical - appeared. Due to the support of Kurdish rights the members of the HEP and DEP came under widespread attacks.

### 1994 local elections

[edit]

Between 1991 and 1994, more than 50 of its members were murdered.[6] As a result, the party decided to withdraw from the municipal elections which were planned to take place on 27 March 1994.[7] The party justified this decision with the casualties, but personal and material the party had to affront during the last 45 days and that several of the candidates which the party put up for the elections withdrew, as they feared for their life.[7]

### Ban

[edit]

On 2 March 1994, the Turkish parliament lifted the immunity of two deputies from the DEP and Orhan Doğan and Hatip Dicle were detained.[8] On 2 April 1994, occurred a deadly attack on the Bazaar in Istanbul for which the PKK did not claim an authorship. The Turkish Government anyway blamed the PKK but also the DEP.[3] In reaction to the attack, the Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Çiller deemed the DEP just a cover for the PKK and called for end of a PKK presence in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.[3] Until 16 June 1994, six party members were imprisoned and the party was banned.[9]

On 8 August 1994, the deputies Orhan Doğan, Leyla Zana, Selim Sadak and Hatip Dicle were sentenced to 15 years in prison.[10] They were released in June 2009 following a decision of Turkey's Appeal Court,[11] after Turkey experienced some pressure from the European Parliament, asking for their release and condemning their imprisonment.[12]

The DEP was succeeded by the People's Democracy Party (HADEP), established in May 1994.

In December 2002, the European Court of Human Rights held DEP's dissolution to be contrary to Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of association) and ordered Turkey to pay €200,000 which shall be distributed among the parties members.[13]

## Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Cigerli, Sabri; Saout, Didier Le (2005). Ocalan et le PKK: Les mutations de la question kurde en Turquie et au moyen-orient (in French). Maisonneuve et Larose. p. 189\. ISBN 978-2-7068-1885-1.
2. ^ a b c Cigerli, Sabri; Saout, Didier Le (2005). p.190
3. ^ a b c Cigerli, Sabri; Saout, Didier Le (2005). p.191
4. ^ Watts, Nicole F. (2010). Activists in Office. University of Washington Press. p. 69\. ISBN 9780295990491.
5. ^ Watts, Nicole F. (2010-11-18). Activists in Office: Kurdish Politics and Protest in Turkey. University of Washington Press. p. 69\. ISBN 978-0-295-99050-7.
6. ^ Gunes, Cengiz (2013-01-11). The Kurdish National Movement in Turkey: From Protest to Resistance. Routledge. p. 163\. ISBN 9781136587986.
7. ^ a b Cigerli, Sabri; Saout, Didier Le (2005), p.192
8. ^ Cigerli, Sabri; Saout, Didier Le (2005). pp.192–193
9. ^ Gunes, Cengiz (2013-01-11). The Kurdish National Movement in Turkey: From Protest to Resistance. Routledge. pp. 163–164\. ISBN 9781136587986.
10. ^ "Texts adopted - Thursday, 22 April 2004 - Trial against Leyla Zana and others in Ankara - P5_TA(2004)0377". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
11. ^ "Leyla Zana, European Parliament's Sakharov Prize Winner of 1995" (PDF). Europarl. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
12. ^ "Texts adopted - Thursday, 22 April 2004 - Trial against Leyla Zana and others in Ankara - P5_TA(2004)0377". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
13. ^ ECtHR judgment on application no. 25141/94(in French)

## References

[edit]

* Güney, Aylin (2002). "The People's Democracy Party". Turkish Studies. 3 (1): 122–137\. doi:10.1080/714005704. hdl:11693/48656. S2CID 143548942.

* v
* t
* e

Pro-Kurdish political parties in Turkey

Active|

* Freedom and Socialism Party (ÖSP)
* Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)
* Free Cause Party (HÜDAPAR)
* Democratic Regions Party (DBP)
* Turkey Kurdistan Democratic Party (T-KDP)
* Rights and Freedoms Party (HAK-PAR)
* Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM)

Defunct|

* People's Labor Party (HEP)
* Freedom and Equality Party (ÖZEP)
* Freedom and Democracy Party (ÖZDEP)
* Democracy Party (DEP)
* People's Democracy Party (HADEP)
* Democratic People's Party (DEHAP)
* Democratic Society Party (DTP)
* Peace and Democracy Party (BDP)
* Participatoric Democracy Party (KADEP)

* v
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Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgency

* Timelines
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Turkey|

| State|

* Government
* National Security Council
* Military
* Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Gendarmerie
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* Police
* MİT
* Village Guards

|

Deep state|

* Counter-Guerrilla
* Grey Wolves
* Turkish Revenge Brigade
* Susurluk scandal
* Ergenekon
* JİTEM

Kurdish groups|

| Insurgent|

* KCK
* PKK
* History
* People's Defence Forces (HPG)
* Free Women's Units (YJA-STAR)
* National Liberation Front of Kurdistan (ERNK)
* Liberation Forces OF Kurdistan (HRK)
* People's Liberation Army of Kurdistan (ARGK)
* Democratic People's Union of Kurdish (YDK)
* Democratic Society Coordination of Kurdistan (CDK)
* Free Women's Union of Kurdistan (YAJK)
* Workers' Women Party of Kurdistan (PJKK)
* Free Women Party (PJA)
* Free Women's Party of Kurdistan (PAJK)
* Women's Liberation Movement of Kurdistan (KJB)
* Freedom and Democracy Congress of Kurdistan (KADEK)
* People's Congress (Kongra-Gel)
* Confederation Community of Kurdistan (KKK)
* Revolutionary Party of Kurdistan (PŞK)
* Workers Vanguard Party of Kurdistan (PPKK)
* TAK
* KDP/N
* PJAK
* KKP
* Free Youth Movement of Kurdistan (TECAK)
* Marxist–Leninist Communist Party (MLKP)
* Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H)
* PIK
* HİK
* KH (Hüda-Par)

|

Allies|

* DHP
* TDP
* ASALA (until the late 1980s)

Political|

* HEP (1990–1993)
* DEP (1993–1994)
* HADEP (1994–2003)
* DEHAP (1997–2005)
* DTH (2005)
* DTP (2005–2009)
* BDP (2008–2014)
* HDP (2012–present)
* DBP (2014–present)
* DEM (2023–present)

The conflict|

| 1974–1984|

* Political violence in Turkey (1976–1980)
* Maraş massacre
* 1980 Turkish coup d'état

|

1984–1999|

* 1984 PKK attacks
* Karageçit
* August 1986 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
* Ortabağ
* March 1987 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
* Pınarcık massacre
* Yeşilova incident
* Battle of Şırnak
* 1992 Taşdelen attack
* Battle of Kulp
* Operation Northern Iraq
* May 24, 1993 PKK attack
* Başbağlar massacre
* Lice massacre
* Winter Campaign of 1994–1995
* Operation Steel
* Operation Hawk
* Operation Tokat
* 1996 Tunceli bombing
* Siege of Varto
* Sazak assault
* Operation Hammer
* Operation Dawn
* Operation Murat
* 1999 Istanbul bombings
* Blue Market massacre

1999–2004|

2000 Turkish Hezbollah crackdown

2004–2012|

* 2005 Kuşadası minibus bombing
* 2007 Ankara bombing
* October 2007 clashes in Hakkâri
* December 2007 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
* 2008 Diyarbakır bombing
* 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
* 2008 Istanbul bombings
* October 2008 Aktütün attack
* Reşadiye shooting
* 2010 İskenderun attack
* 2010 Hakkâri bus bombing
* 2010 Istanbul bombing
* August 2011 Turkey–Iraq cross-border raids
* 2011 Hakkâri attack
* Roboski massacre
* June–August 2012 Hakkari clashes
* 2012 Gaziantep bombing
* September 2012 Beytüşşebap attack

2013–2015|

* Siege of Kobanî
* 2014 Kobanî protests
* Suruç bombing
* Ceylanpınar incident

2015–present|

* Operation Martyr Yalçın
* 2015 Siirt bombing
* 2015 Hakkari assault
* Siege of Silvan (2015)
* Şırnak clashes (2015–2016)
* Siege of Sur (2016)
* February 2016 Lice bombing
* February 2016 Ankara bombing
* March 2016 Ankara bombing
* March 2016 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
* 2016 Bursa bombing
* May 2016 Dürümlü bombing
* May 2016 Diyarbakır bombing
* 2016 Cizre bombing
* 2016 Elazığ bombing
* Assassination of Deryan Aktert
* December 2016 Istanbul bombings
* 2017 Diyarbakır bombing
* Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar (2018)
* 2018 Siirt raid
* 2018 Gercüş bombing
* 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
* 2020 İskenderun shootout
* Operation Claw-Eagle 2
* Operation Claw-Lock
* Zakho resort attack
* 2022 Mersin attack
* Operation Claw-Sword
* 2023 Ankara bombing
* October 2023 Northeastern Syria clashes

Protests|

| Serhildan|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1999
* 2001
* 2005
* 2006
* 2008
* 2009
* 2011–2012
* 2014

|

Others|

* Mothers of Diyarbakır

Peace process
and peace efforts|

* 1991–2004 Kurdish–Turkish peace initiatives
* 2013–2015 Solution process
* 1993 Kurdistan Workers' Party ceasefire
* Musa Anter peace train
* 2009–2010 Kurdistan Workers' Party ceasefire
* Dolmabahce Agreement
* 2025 peace process

Kurdish leaders|

| Insurgent|

* Abdullah Öcalan
* Murat Karayılan
* Cemîl Bayik
* Bahoz Erdal
* Mustafa Karasu
* Duran Kalkan
* Haji Ahmadi
* Osman Öcalan
* Mahsum Korkmaz
* Şemdin Sakık
* Nizamettin Taş
* Mazlum Doğan
* Muhammad Mustafa
* Hüseyin Velioğlu
* Celal Başkale
* İsmail Özden

|

Political|

* Ahmet Fehmi Işıklar
* Yaşar Kaya
* Leyla Zana
* Hatip Dicle
* Orhan Doğan
* Ahmet Türk
* Murat Bozlak
* Tuncer Bakırhan
* Aysel Tuğluk
* Selahattin Demirtaş
* Nurettin Demirtaş
* Ayla Akat Ata
* Gültan Kışanak
* Pervin Buldan
* Emine Ayna
* Sebahat Tuncel
* Kemal Burkay
* Fatma Kurtulan
* Osman Baydemir
* Sırrı Süreyya Önder

Turkish leaders|

| Military|

* Kenan Evren
* Tahsin Şahinkaya
* Bülend Ulusu
* Nurettin Ersin
* Necdet Üruğ
* Necip Torumtay
* Eşref Bitlis
* Doğan Güreş
* İsmail Hakkı Karadayı
* Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu
* Hilmi Özkök
* İbrahim Fırtına
* Faruk Cömert
* Yaşar Büyükanıt
* Aydoğan Babaoğlu
* İlker Başbuğ
* Işık Koşaner
* Erdal Ceylanoğlu
* Necdet Özel
* Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu

|

Political|

* Turgut Özal
* Süleyman Demirel
* Bülent Ecevit
* Ali Bozer
* Yıldırım Akbulut
* Mesut Yılmaz
* Erdal İnönü
* Tansu Çiller
* Mesut Yılmaz
* Necmettin Erbakan
* Ahmet Necdet Sezer
* Abdullah Gül
* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
* Süleyman Soylu

See also|

| Memorials, monuments
and military cemeteries|

* 33 Martyrs Memorial
* Düzce Military Cemetery
* Monument of the Martyrs of Internal Security

|

Other|

* Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
* Kurdish separatism in Iran
* Rojava conflict
* Kurdish rebellions in Turkey
* Kurdish refugees
* Human rights of Kurdish people in Turkey
* Kurdish villages depopulated by Turkey
* Turkish war crimes
* Iraq operations

* v
* t
* e

Historical parties in Turkey

* Anatolia Party (ANAPAR) (2014–15)
* Bright Turkey Party (ATP) (1998–2010)
* Citizen's Party (1986-1986)
* Democracy Party (DEP) (1993–94)
* Democratic Center Party (DMP) (1990–91)
* Democratic Left People's Party (DSHP) (2009–10)
* Democrat Party (DP) (1946–60)
* Democratic Party (DP) (1970–80)
* Democratic People's Party (1997-2005)
* Democratic Progress Party (DGP) (2014–15)
* Democratic Society Party (DTP) (2005–09)
* Democrat Turkey Party (DTP) (1997–2008)
* Electronic Democracy Party (e-Parti) (2014–2016)
* Equality and Democracy Party (EDP) (2010–12)
* Free Democratic Party
* Great Anatolia Party (BAP) (1986–92)
* Great Turkey Party (BTP) (1983)
* Green Party (1988–94)
* Greens Party (YP) (2008–12)
* Justice Party (AP) (1961–1980)
* Labour Party of Turkey (1975-1980)
* Liberal Republican Party (SCF) (1930)
* Liberty Party (HP) (1955–58)
* Motherland Party (ANAP) (1983–2009)
* Nation Party (MP) (1948–53)
* Nation Party (MP) (1962–77)
* National Development Party (MKP) (1945–58)
* National Order Party (MNP) (1970–71)
* National Salvation Party (MSP) (1972–81)
* National Women's Party of Turkey (TUKP) (1972–81)
* Nationalist Democracy Party (MDP) (1983–86)
* New Party (2008–12)
* New Party (Turkey, 1993)
* New Turkey Party (1961)
* New Turkey Party (2002)
* Peace Party (BP) (1996–99)
* Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) (2008–2014)
* People's Labor Party (HEP) (1990–93)
* People's Communist Party of Turkey (2014–17)
* People's Democracy Party (HADEP) (1994–2003)
* People's Voice Party (HAS) (2010–12)
* Populist Party (HP) (1983–85)
* Progressive Republican Party (TCF) (1924–25)
* Republican Nation Party (CMP) (1954–58)
* Republican Party (CP) (1972–73)
* Republican Villagers Nation Party (CKMP) (1958–69)
* Republican Reliance Party (CGP) (1967–81)
* Social Democratic People's Party (SHP) (2002–10)
* Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) (1985–95)
* Socialist Revolution Party (SDP) (1975–95)
* Socialist Unity Party (SBP) (1991–95)
* Social Democracy Party (SODEP) (1983–85)
* Turkey Party (TP) (2009–12)
* Turkish Villagers' Party (TKP) (1952–58)
* Unity Party (BP) (1966–81)
* Virtue Party (FP) (1998–2001)
* Welfare Party (RP) (1983–98)
* Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) (1961–87)

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

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