Karo Paylan: Despite the threats, I will fight for democracy in  Turkey

ArmInfo. MP of the Turkish parliament of Armenian origin Karo Paylan called the rally held on September 28 in support of Azerbaijan in Istanbul a provocation, as  cars drove through the streets where Armenian families live. He wrote  about this in his article published the day before in the New York  Times. Paylan, noted: "In the war in the Karabakh conflict zone, the  Turkish leadership supports Azerbaijan and rejects calls for a  ceasefire. Azerbaijan is also supplied with Turkish military  equipment. A similar strategy is close to Erdogan, since the latter  intends to increase his military presence abroad, in particular in  Syria, Libya, in the Mediterranean, and strengthen his position as a  regional power. However, there is a direct correlation between the  desire of the Turkish government to delve into conflicts abroad and  the closure of the democratic space within the country. "

He noted that due to authoritarianism, which is gaining ground in  Turkey, the MP from the People's Democratic Party himself, as well as  his political views, will turn him into a target. Paylan stressed  that the Turkish edition of the Eurasian Institute for Strategic  Issues published a statement in support of Azerbaijan in the Sabah  newspaper, which is associated with Erdogan's family. In the  publication he was accused of pro-Armenian orientation and treason.

"There were also calls to deprive me of parliamentary immunity, to  hand me over to the court, however, I filed a legal complaint against  advertisers and continued to call for peace in the Caucasian region.  As an Armenian from Turkey, I understand the meaning of this message.  Indeed, in 2007, Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist and editor of the  Agos newspaper, was killed. He was killed in a similar period of  nationalism, '' Paylan said, stressing that dozens of his friends  have been arrested on trumped-up charges in recent days.

Moreover, seven deputies from the People's Democracy Party, and  Paylan himself, are accused of "attempting to overthrow the  constitutional building>, and the prosecutor is preparing to ask  parliament to revoke their immunity and arrest them. At the same  time, the deputy stressed that he was inspired by thousands of calls  in support and collection of signatures in their favor.

Paylan said Turkey was recently a promising democracy. "I became an  MP in 2015, 100 years after my great-grandfather was killed during  the Armenian Genocide. "I wanted Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Alevis,  minorities and women to live without any fear as equal citizens. I  did my best for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. However, after 2015,  Turkey took the path of authoritarianism. President Erdogan followed  the path of authoritarianism and militarism followed. Such a policy  cannot solve internal political problems and help the region. Turkey  should encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to return to negotiations on  the Karabakh conflict.  Russia helped the parties agree on a  ceasefire, which strengthened Russia's role in the region and  excluded Turkey from the diplomatic game. If President Erdogan wants  to be relevant, he must stop escalating tensions in the Caucasus and  support the ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, "he said.  In  conclusion, the MP stressed that, despite the threats, he will  continue to fight for democracy in Turkey.