Foreign
TURKISH security forces on Monday disrupted peaceful protest march by a pro-Kurdish party in various parts of the country, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said.
The democracy march started in South-Eastern Hakkari province and Western Edirne, and to culminate on Saturday in the capital Ankara.
Two HDP lawmakers, Leyla Guven and Musa Farisogullari, were recently stripped of their parliamentary seats after court decisions upholding their convictions in various cases.
Enis Berberoglu was also stripped of his parliamentary seat after court decisions upholding his convictions in various cases from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The HDP said its marches were aimed at drawing attention to the government’s systematic crackdown on the party, and the opposition in general.
However, Police officials were seen using canister of tear gas on the protesters as well as detaining 10 people after a brawl with lawmakers in Silivri, Istanbul, where HDP supporters gathered before heading to Edirne.
The HDP Deputy Chairman, Pervin Buldan, called for calm, adding that democracy and peaceful co-existence still in force.
“The barriers and barricades you want to build to block this march won’t ever make us step back,”Buldan said.
She was leading supporters to Edirne prison, where former party leader Selahattin Demirtas has been held since November 2016 on terrorism-related charges.
“We are in millions and were are also demonstrating for jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala and others suffering because of the practices of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Earlier, governors of several provinces in the South-East and West banned public assemblies as well as entry and exit bans, as part of coronavirus containment measures.
Buldan called the government’s decision to block movement between cities as illegitimate and anti-democratic. (dpa/NAN)
– Jun. 15, 2020 @ 13:19 GMT |
Tags: detention Turkey blocks pro-Kurdish party’s protests with force
