The 鶹ӳ Party (Yeşil Sol Parti) campaign in the May 14 Turkish general election was launched in Lidcombe in western Sydney on April 22 in a large gathering mainly of Turkish citizens living in Australia.
In a bid to circumvent the risk of a possible closure ahead of the elections, the left-wing and pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) decided to participate in these elections under the banner of the 鶹ӳ Party, one of its constituent parties when it was formed.
The 鶹ӳ Party's manifesto “We Are Here, Together We Will Bring Change” pledges to replace the current presidential system of governance with a democratic system that features a pluralistic parliament with broad powers, a robust separation of powers and an effective system of checks and balances. It also aims to seek a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue.
The Sydney launch was addressed by 鶹ӳ Party Co-spokesperson Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar (via video link), Sydney 鶹ӳ Party representative Kenan Bircan, Australian Greens Senator David Shoebridge (via video), Reverend Bill Crews, Peter Boyle from Socialist Alliance and Claudia Taranto from PEN Sydney.
Kılıçgün Uçar said that this a "critical election" especially for the Kurds and other minorities in Turkey who had suffered persecution, discrimination and exclusion for many decades. As a result, she added, these groups had been campaigning in the streets for the 鶹ӳ Party with great enthusiasm.