First Statements after Suruç Explosion

After the explosion which occurred in front of Amara Culture Center and left many dead and injured behind in Suruç district of Urfa province, in Southeast of Turkey, ministries are going to the scene.

On PM Ahmet Davutoğlu’s say-so, Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmuş, Minister of the Interior Sebahattin Öztürk, Minister of Labor and Social Security Faruk Çelik are going to the scene to research.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) held an emergency meeting. HDP Vice President Sırrı Süreyya Önder told that all region officials were sent to Suruç district and they tried to create an urgent coordination center.

Politicians and nongovernmental, political organizations made statements related to the explosion which left 30 dead and 76 injured.

Statements from the politicians

HDP Group Deputy Chairperson and İstanbul Deputy Pervin Buldan: “A bloody assault was carried out against young people who were going to go to Kobani from Suruç. They visited me last week in Ankara. They told they would build park, library and create memorial forest in Kobani.” 

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu: Abominable attack in Suruç district burnt our hearts. It is inexpressible how hard to lose our very young sons. I condemn terror and its supporters.

Deputy PM Yalçın Akdoğan: I condemn ABOMINABLE attack and ATTACKERS in Suruç. These kinds of terrorist attacks against Turkey’s unity and solidarity, tranquility and peace won’t succeed ever. God rest their souls who lost their lives during the explosion and I wish casualties get healthy. We fail these attempts as the state and the nation. No one of the terrorist attacks will bring Turkey to heel and destroy our unity and solidarity. We will let them down with common sense.

HDP Vice President Sırrı Süreyya Önder: We’ve assigned our friends to handle the situation and casualties. Our priority is to take injured people to the hospitals and treat them. It is evident that hospitals in Urfa province are not enough. We are seeing Ministry of Health. There is a shortage of ambulance. We try to inform families of the casualties and public opinion, find out the incident and take due precautions.

Statements from Civil Society Organizations and Political Parties

HDP: Everyone should take his/her precautions

HDP Co-Chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş:

 “The ones who cannot say a word to ISIS and officials in Ankara who threaten HDP every day and feed ISIS are joint offenders of this atrocity. As HDP, we want to clarify something for Turkey: We are determined to put our principals on democracy, justice and peace on practice. We will keep defending these principals at any price. 

“Interim government is obliged to discharge the responsibilities of the citizens to provide security of life and property. Government which massed troops along the border against Democratic Union Party (PYD) should answer for explosion in Suruç. Current government is responsible for all intelligence and security gaps.

 “However, our peoples, political corporations, civil society organizations, municipalities and trade bodies should take their precautions.  Security measures should be taken in party headquarters and places to protest in.”

Diyarbakır Bar Association: Precautions should have been taken

Bar President Tahir Elçi made a statement on behalf of Diyarbakır Bar Association Administrative Board and reminded bombing attack in HDP election rally on June 5 in Diyarbakır province. 

“Precautions should have been taken and same attacks in the region should have been foreseen. Attackers and linked perpetrators should be found and due precautions should be taken by legal and administrative authorities.

ÇGD: Are there ISIS militants in the city or not?

Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD):

"A month ago journalists asked Governor of Urfa province, İzzettin Küçük, ‘Are there ISIS militants in the city?’. Governor Küçük was annoyed and made four journalists detained. A massacre was carried out in the same city after a month in front of people and security officials.

"We ask Governor Küçük again:

"Are there ISIS militants in the city or not? How young people were attacked in spite of intelligence and security officials in Urfa? How gangs could freely carry out bombing attack in daytime near Turkey-Syria border?

"Governor İzzettin Küçük who made journalists detained since he didn’t like the questions instead of answering them and informing public opinion, the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who increases the tension to launch a military operation against Syria and Justice and Development Party (AKP) government are responsible for this massacre.” (BK/ÇT/BD)

* Photo Credit: Anadolu Agency

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