ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The imprisoned former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtas on Saturday called on the youth of Turkey to actively campaign less than two weeks ahead of crucial presidential and parliamentary elections. Demirtas, who has been jailed since 2016 on terror charges that he denies, urged young people to campaign and encourage voters in person, not on social media where they “won’t be able to change a single person’s opinion.” “Until May 14, go around every house, every village. Get in touch with people, shake their hands and hug them,” Demirtas wrote in a tweet. “Come on guys, let’s finish it in the first round,” he added, referring to the presidential vote. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the popular vote, then the top two candidates face off in a second round. Demirtas’ party, HDP, in April endorsed opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is running to unseat the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kilicdaroglu is considered Erdogan’s toughest challenger in two decades. He leads in most polls conducted inside Turkey and is considered the favourite amongst the younger generation. Around 4.9 million new voters are eligible to go to the polls on May 14, according to Turkey’s High Election Council. Kilicdaroglu is seeking their vote with a promise to improve the economy, living conditions, and the quality of education. According to Turkey’s Statistics Institution in February 2023, youth unemployment is at 19.2 percent.
