Open letter to President Barack Obama about the November 1 elections in Turkey

Kurdish American Education Society in Los Angeles

Dr.Amir Sharifi | Ekurd.net

The President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20501

Dear President Obama:

We members of the Kurdish American Education Society and the greater Kurdish communities in Southern California are hereby urging you and the international community to ensure that the upcoming November 1 elections 1 in Turkey be held freely and fairly.

As you are aware in the June nation wide elections, the opposition parties emerged triumphant by ending the AKP Ruling party’s majority of parliamentary seats for the first time. The Pro-Kurdish HDP passed the 10% threshold to bring about genuine democratic changes; however, the AKP has done everything possible to contest and reverse the results of these elections by tightening its grip on power, silencing all voices of opposition with its anti-terrorism laws.

The US government and European Union have invested a great deal in Turkey in the hope of creating a better and a more democratic society; instead Turkey has become ethnically and religiously a less tolerant society, threatening the stability and security of the region. The AKP Party’s history except for a brief period has been marred with political corruption, suppression of political dissent and draconian crackdown on the human rights activists, liberal and critical media. Lawyers and opposition parties have warned against recurrent violence and intimidations in the Kurdish areas, and schemes of possible voting fraud.

In the spirit of the democratic inspirations of the people of Turkey, we urge you to use your authority to support independent electoral monitoring in order to promote free and fair elections in Turkey.

Cordially

Dr.Amir Sharifi
President of the Kurdish American Education Society Los Angeles