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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A group of political parties that focus on advocating for Kurdish rights in Turkey met in Diyarbakir on Friday to strengthen their united front as Kurds face challenges across the Middle East.The two-day conference, under the slogan ‘Collective struggle for national unity,’ brought together eight parties that had formed anto contest Turkey’s March 2019 local elections.Opening the conference, Sinan Ciftyurek, leader of the Communist Party of Kurdistan (KKP), said that Kurds are connected to many events now happening in the Middle East, so they need unity “to make our achievements bigger.”In addition to the KKP, the Democratic Communities Council (KCK), the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the Revolutionary Eastern Culture Associations (DDKD), the Human and Freedom Party (PIA), the Kurdish Democratic Platform (PDK), and the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Turkey (PDK-T) were in attendance.“We need national alliance to make the achievements permanent,” said Ciftyurek, adding that all Kurdish parties have to come together against Ankara’s crackdown on the HDP. Many of the party’s mayors who won in the March 2019 vote have been removed from their posts by the central government. Hundreds of HDP officials are in jail for alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).Ahmet Turk, who was removed as mayor of Mardin, told Rudaw on the sidelines of the conference that with the world learning about the Kurdish struggle, now is the time for Kurdish political parties to gain the confidence of the voters and push hard for their rights.“There are many difficulties and obstacles in the Middle East. They want to remove all Kurdish achievements. However, now Kurds are lucky to be known everywhere in the world as a peace-wanting nation, but they have disagreements among themselves, especially among political parties,” said the veteran politician.“We have to give people some confidence to come to streets demanding their rights,” Turk added.HDP is the most successful pro-Kurdish party in Turkey, but smaller parties have avoided alliances with it because of alleged links to the PKK and because it positions itself as a leftist Turkish party rather than focusing solely on the struggle for Kurdish rights.Zeyad Ceyland, head of HDP’s office in Diyarbakir, told Rudaw their party plays two roles. In the Kurdish-majority provinces in the southeast, “HDP represents Kurds there.” But nationwide, HDP represents “our friends” as well, he said, referring to non-Kurdish voters in other parts of Turkey. Sezai Temelli, co-leader of HDP is a Turk. He also attended the conference.“We have to see the differences between Kurds as enriching. Otherwise, they will not serve the achievements of Kurds,” Ceylan told Rudaw early on Saturday, urging unity. “Kurds must not be divided because it has led to massacres in the past.”HDP would also like to see greater cooperation among Kurds across borders. The partya high-profile delegation led by Temelli to the Kurdistan Region in September to discuss “regional issues and the unity of Kurds.” They met with Kurdish officials and political parties.Kurds have two national leaders, said HDP lawmaker Leyla Guven – jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan and head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in northern Iraq Masoud Barzani. “Now, the biggest responsibility falls upon Mr Masoud Barzani because Mr Ocalan is in jail while Mr Masoud Barzani is out and has the ability” to unite Kurds, Guven said in anwith Otekilerin Gundemi news outlet on Saturday.She added that Kurdistan Region has legitimacy in the world, so Barzani as the leader of the ruling KDP must call on all Kurds to band together. “I hope Mr Barzani plays his role and carries out his mission as soon as possible because the [Kurdish] people have serious expectations,” she said.For the KDP, it’s a balancing act. The party wants to advocate for Kurds everywhere, but the economic prosperity of the Kurdistan Region depends on maintaining good relations with Ankara as the Region sells its oil via Turkey.Nechirvan Barzani, deputy head of the KDP and president of the Kurdistan Region, said Ankara should re-open talks with the PKK and Ocalan and should release the jailed former head of HDP, Selahattin Demirtas. “I definitely believe that he should be freed from prison and allowed to play this role. He should be free,” BarzaniAl-Monitor.