The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) has issued a statement  justifying its decision to endorse the pro-Kurdish Democracy of Nations (HDP) party in Turkey’s upcoming parliamentary election.
The move has provoked both positive and negative reactions across Turkey.
At a recent demonstration in Batman, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made a statement downplaying the party’s role for collaboration with the Armenian diaspora.  “What benefits can one expect from someone whose friend is the Armenian diaspora?” he said. The remark spurred serious controversies.
The Istanbul based Turkish-Armenian publication Agos has talked to Peto Demirchyan, a spokesperson for an Armenian organization.
Asked why they back HDP, Demirchyan said they believe that the party represents different ethnic identities, a fact they find very important for shaking off the ruling Justice and Democracy party’s monarchy.
“We have left behind the painful past with the Kurds, so both sides are now openly looking to the future. To confront the past and look to the future, we need grounds to reach an agreement between the Armenians and Turks,” he answered.
Demirchyan said he knows that it is the first ever call of the kind by an Armenian organization on Turks residing in Europe (asking it to vote in favor of a specific political party).
“This call was accepted positively especially by intellectual circles. We have also seen positive and negative comments in the Turkish media. And Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed Selahattin Demirtaş, a co-chairman of the HDP party, for reaching an agreement with the Armenian Diaspora. As we see, our support did have its impact,” he added.
Commenting on the statement’s powerfulnes, Demirchyan said he finds their organization influential. “We represent the Armenian community and Armenian organizations in Europe. We collaborate with minorities and groups subjected to violence in Turkey. Those groups have created a big diaspora in Europe, especially in Western Europe,” he added.