Peace and Democracy Party

BDP succeeded the Democratic Society Party (DTP) in 2008, following the closure of the latter party for its alleged connections with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The BDP was co-chaired by Selahattin Demirtaş and Gültan Kışanak. One-third of its representatives were Alevi.http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-312698-alevi-kurds-problem.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706154630/http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-312698-alevi-kurds-problem.html |date=2013-07-06 }} Alevi Kurds' problem, todayszaman.com

The Deputy Chairs were Pervin Buldan and İdris Baluken.{{cite web|title=Pro-Kurdish deputies pay 12th visit to jailed PKK leader|publisher=Sunday's Zaman|date=2013-11-09|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-331029-pro-kurdish-deputies-pay-12th-visit-to-jailed-pkk-leader.html|access-date=2013-11-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111152531/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-331029-pro-kurdish-deputies-pay-12th-visit-to-jailed-pkk-leader.html|archive-date=2013-11-11}} In the elections the BDP supported the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Bloc, which achieved the election of 35 Members of Parliament.{{Cite book|last1=Heper|first1=Metin|title=Historical Dictionary of Turkey|last2=Öztürk-Tunçel|first2=Duygu|last3=Criss|first3=Nur Bilge|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2018|isbn=978-1-5381-0225-1|pages=163|language=en}}

After municipal elections on 30 March 2014, Berivan Elif Kilic became the co-mayor of Kocaköy, a farming town of 17,000 people in Turkey’s Kurdish region. Kilic shared the post of mayor with her male running mate, Affullah Kar, a former Imam. Under BDP party rules, all top positions are split between a man and a woman, in an effort to promote women’s participation in politics.{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/|title=The Daily Beast|website=The Daily Beast}}

The party chairman has called for the PKK to disarm.[http://www.todayszaman.com/news-283975-bdp-chairman-calls-on-pkk-to-lay-down-arms.html BDP chairman calls on PKK to lay down arms] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624070403/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-283975-bdp-chairman-calls-on-pkk-to-lay-down-arms.html |date=2012-06-24 }} The BDP had observer status in the Socialist International.{{cite web |title=Member Parties of the Socialist International |url=http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticlePageID=931 |publisher=Socialist International}} BDP supported Turkey's membership in the European Union,{{cite web|title=About Peace and Democracy Party|url=http://peaceandemocracy.org/about-us/about-us.html|work=BDP|access-date=10 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201609/http://peaceandemocracy.org/about-us/about-us.html|archive-date=29 October 2013}} same-sex marriages in Turkey,{{cite news|title=BDP'nin eşcinsel evlilik isteği tartışılıyor|url=http://www.haber10.com/haber/279069/#.Uga3-NLOtOY|access-date=10 August 2013|newspaper=Haber 10|date=15 May 2013|language=tr}} an anti-discrimination law to protect LGBT people and also wants the Government of Turkey to recognize the Armenian genocide.{{cite news|title=BDP urges Turkey to offer apology to Armenians|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/bdp-urges-turkey-to-offer-apology-to-armenians.aspx?pageID=238&nid=45534|access-date=10 August 2013|newspaper=Hurriyet Daily News|date=14 April 2013}}

Pro-minority rights and feminist Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) acted as the fraternal party to BDP. At the 2014 municipal elections, HDP ran parallel to BDP, with the BDP running in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast while the HDP competed in the rest of the country{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/10/new-kurdish-party-could-impact-turkey-elections.html#ixzz2tn1xudyq|title=New Kurdish Party Could Impact Local Turkish Elections|last=Cengiz|first=Orhan Kemal|others=Sibel Utku Bila (trans.)|date=31 October 2013|publisher=Al-Monitor|access-date=24 February 2014}} except Mersin Province and Konya Province where BDP launched its own candidates.[http://www.bdp.org.tr/tr/?page_id=5050 ADAYLARIMIZ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308075718/http://www.bdp.org.tr/tr/?page_id=5050 |date=2014-03-08 }}, BDP official website

After the local elections, the two parties were re-organised in a joint structure. On 28 April 2014, the entire parliamentary caucus of BDP joined HDP, whereas BDP was assigned exclusively to representatives on the local administration level.{{cite web|url=http://www.sabah.com.tr/Gundem/2014/04/28/bdp-milletvekilleri-hdpye-katildi|title=BDP milletvekilleri HDP'ye katıldı|date=28 April 2014|publisher=Al-Monitor|access-date=24 February 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://odatv.com/n.php?n=bdp-artik-mecliste-yok-2804141200|title=BDP artık Meclis'te yok|website=odatv.com|date=28 April 2014 }}

The BDP has reported that between April 2009 and October 2011 more than 7500 BDP members were detained and over 3000 were arrested.{{Cite web|url=https://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2011/10/turkey3438.htm|title=7748 Kurds in Turkish custody - 3895 Arrested in 30 months in the scope of KCK operations|website=Ekurd Daily|access-date=2 April 2020}}

At the 3rd Congress of the party on 11 July 2014, the name was changed to the Democratic Regions Party and a new structure restricting activities on the local/regional government level was adopted.{{cite web|url=http://www.evrensel.net/haber/88097/bdpnin-adi-demokratik-bolgeler-partisi-oldu|title=BDP'nin adı Demokratik Bölgeler Partisi oldu|date=11 July 2014|publisher=Evrensel|access-date=24 February 2015}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140924121413/http://www.bdp.org.tr/ Official website]

{{Political parties of Turkey}}

{{Kurdish parties in Turkey}}

{{Kurdish nationalist organisations}}

{{Kurdish–Turkish conflict}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peace And Democracy Party}}

Category:Kurdish nationalist political parties

Category:Political parties established in 2008

Category:2008 establishments in Turkey

Category:Defunct Kurdish parties in Turkey

Category:2014 disestablishments in Turkey

Category:Political parties disestablished in 2014

Category:Defunct social democratic parties in Turkey

Category:Kurdish nationalism in Turkey

Category:HEP tradition