Deputies and Ministers from HDP March towards Cizre

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputies and ministers took the road to go Cizre district of Şırnak province in southeastern Turkey. About 40 deputies were stopped twice by the soldiers on the road.

90 km away

HDP deputies Ali Haydar Konca and Müslüm Doğan met government officials in Mardin province but couldn’t come to a conclusion.

HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş:

“People of Cizre aren’t abandoned. We will march towards Cizre and we don’t even violate the law on meetings and demonstrations.

“We are 90 kilometers away from Cizre now. They say ‘We don’t allow you to pass for your own safety.’ There are 120 thousand people in Cizre. If 120 thousand civilians’ life safety is under the threat, we are also under the threat.”

"Prime Minister didn't allow us to leave Mardin"

HDP İstanbul deputy Filiz Kerestecioğlu told bianet:

“Two ministers and approximately 40 deputies are here. Is it legal or politically correct to shut down the entrance of a city? There is neither electricity nor water in Cizre. You should go and see yourself. We will march as long as we can.

“Other political parties should object this unlawfulness. Our headquarters were burned down. They should offer condolences to us. They should come to Cizre and look at what’s going on. We only aim to bring peace to these lands.

“I pity for the soldiers on duty there. They are waiting for under the bare sun for days. 

What happened?

Curfew in Cizre district has been going on since September 4 at 8 p.m.

A delegation including HDP deputies Sibel Yiğitalp, Nursel Aydoğan, Mahmut Toğrul, Aycan İrmez, Leyla Birlik, Leyla Güven, Ziya Çalışkan, Ayşe Acar Başaran and Mehmet Ali Aslan went to Cizre on September 5 but they weren’t allowed to enter the city.

On September 8, a delegation from Women’s Freedom Assembly (KÖM) and another delegation from Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK) couldn’t enter Cizre. (ÇT/BD)

* Photo Credits: Sertaç Kayar @sertacamed / Mahmut Oral @mahmutoral_

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