Demirtas's remarks came during an interview with Deutsche Welle’s Turkish edition. The interview, which was conducted through Demirtas’s lawyers, was published on Monday, December 7.

“There are serious economic, political and sociocultural crises, and there seem to be no concrete developments on the horizon for any improvement. Unfortunately, everything is taking a turn for the worse in Turkey. The society is in a deep state of desperation and unhappiness,” Demirtas said.

He noted that it is becoming more difficult for Erdogan to manage the political situation and that an early election seems necessary, Turkish Minute reported.

Turkey held a presidential and general election in June 2018. The upcoming elections are scheduled for 2023.

“We are not talking about a crisis that can go on. We are undergoing a serious crisis, which is getting deeper and deeper. In this chaotic environment I don’t think the government will be able to hold on to the power of the state for long. So I think an early election is the only way [out of the crisis],” Demirtas said.

Turkey has long been suffering from an economic crisis, which has deteriorated since the beginning of the year, causing the country’s currency to lose 30 percent of its value against the US dollar. Turkey’s annual inflation jumped more than expected, to 14.03 percent, in November, its highest since August 2019 on the back of the Turkish lira’s depreciation.

Demirtas said no matter how severe the situation in the country, he believes the opposition parties can overcome it by joining forces.

When asked about the prospects of his release from prison, the jailed politician said it depends completely on political circumstances and developments.

“I am fighting not for my personal freedom but for the freedom of the people and democracy,” said Demirtas.

Last month, Bulent Arinc, an aide of Erdogan, had to resign as a member of the Presidential High Advisory Board when he called for the release of Demirtas and businessman and human rights activist Osman Kavala, whom he said were kept behind bars on poorly drafted indictments.

Arinc angered Erdogan, who accused him of “setting new fires of evil” with his call for the release of Demirtas and Kavala.

Both Demirtas and Kavala are still in prison despite rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which found their arrests unlawful and called for their immediate release.

Erdogan and his party accuse Demirtas of responsibility for the deaths of 53 people during street protests in 2014 against an attack on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani. The protesters accused the Turkish army of standing by as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) besieged Kobani in plain sight just across the Syrian border. Demirtas is accused by Erdogan of inciting the protests.

Demirtas was co-chairperson of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) when he was arrested.

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