'Erdo?an wants elections in November'

The words in the headline were uttered by Celal Do?an after his visit to Turkish President Tayyip Erdo?an last week. 

Do?an is a Gaziantep deputy for the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP). His name is synonymous with Gaziantep, the industrial Turkish city near the border with Syria. His first entry to parliament came in 1977 as a 34-year-old MP from the social democratic Republican People?s Party (CHP). He later served for years as the mayor of Gaziantep and even the chairman of the Gaziantepspor football club. Indeed, he is a beloved person in his constituency.

Though at opposite ends of the political spectrum, Do?an and Erdo?an have known each other for years. In our telephone conversation yesterday, Do?an said they had been in contact on a number of occasions.

Do?an said that as a seasoned politician he wanted to ?contribute to the normalization of tension? in Turkey and wanted to talk to Erdo?an about ?certain concerns.? He said he first asked for the HDP?s opinion on the appointment and then applied to the presidency. Erdo?an gave the appointment in short notice and Do?an visited him on June 30, a day before the election of ?smet Y?lmaz as the new Speaker of Parliament.

There were two main topics on the agenda, (well two-and-a-half if you count the environmental problems in Gaziantep).

The first was about the HDP?s concerns over a possible Turkish military incursion into Syria targeting ISIL and possibly also aiming at the border regions held by the Syrian Kurdish group the People?s Defense Units (PYD). 

?I told him that as the HDP we were ready to do everything possible to solve any problem regarding the PYD, if there is indeed one,? Do?an said. 

?That includes claims the PYD...