Police Do Not Allow March, HDP MPs Sit-In

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairs Pervin Buldan and Sezai Temelli and several MPs of the party have not been allowed to march in support of HDP MP Leyla Güven, who is on the 96th day of a hunger strike.

Güven demands the removal of the conditions of isolation at the İmralı Prison, where Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan resides.

The MPs gathered on Taksim Square in İstanbul at 11.00 a.m. today (February 11), to march through the İstiklal Avenue.

The police did not allow the MPs to walk, which lead to a long argument between HDP Mardin MP and Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Prof. Dr. Mithat Sancar and the police chiefs.

"If I let you march, I will have to let everybody"

Stating that no demonstrations are allowed on the İstiklal Avenue since August, a police officer said, "If I let you walk, it would be unfair for the ones who previously wanted to walk and I will have to permit everybody who wants to walk from now on."

After that, the MPs tried to walk towards Gümüşsuyu, another part of the Taksim square.

When the group headed to the Taksim Monument, the police formed a barricade there.

Because the police did not remove the barricade, Co-Chairs Buldan and Temelli made a press statement in front of the Taksim Hill Hotel.

Co-Chair Temelli: The isolation is here

HDP Co-Chair Temelli said in the press statement, "We have gathered here to create awareness for the protest, in which Leyla Güven is on the 96th day of the hunger strike, dear Nasır Yağız is on the 83th day, more than 300 arrestees and convicts are on the 57th day, Sebahat Tuncel and Selma Irmak on the 27th day."

Pointing at the police barricade, Temelli said, "If you want to see the photograph of the isolation, look at Taksim. If you want to see the photograph of isolation, we present you this photograph. Turkey is under isolation."

"We are calling out to everyone in Turkey: Take side with democracy and law. Defend the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. If we can defend these all together, this will open the way for Turkey," Temelli added.

Co-Chair Buldan: Being a man does not mean being a human

Buldan also said that the isolation is continuing in Taksim and criticized the Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu for his words "Who lets you march is not a man."

Saying that they are in Taksim "not for manhood, but for humanity," Buldan stated, "Stopping the deaths is a necessity of being a human."

"We refuse the understanding that does not let 67 MPs, whom people in this country call 'my will', march and make a statement," Buldan said.

Sit-in after press statement

After they were not allowed to march following the press statement, the HDP MPs did a sit-in protest for a while.

MPs went to Galatasaray one by one

Following the sit-in protest, the MPs decided to go to Galatasaray Square one by one, because the police did not permit them to walk together.

When the MPs tried to go one by one, they were told that they cannot walk wearing the vests that have Leyla Güven's picture and a sign saying, "Isolation shall be lifted, Leyla shall live."

Handicapped MP Musa Piroğlu argued with officers who wanted him to pull off his vest. Piroğlu was able to leave the area after he pulled his t-shirt off.

The MPs, after pulling their vests off, went to Galatasaray Square one by one and then went to the HDP İstanbul building in Tarlabaşı neighborhood.

Minister of Interior: Who lets you march is not a man

Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu said yesterday (February 10) that the MPs' march would not be allowed:

"Because 'Apo' [Abdullah Öcalan] is inside [the prison], the MPs say that they will march around somewhere. Who lets you march is not a man."

HDP Co-Chair Temelli said the march would be done. (EKN/VK)