'AKP-MHP will be Accountable for the Tiniest Problem We will Have’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Spokesperson and Mardin MP Ebru Günay has answered the questions of bianet about the "March for Democracy Against the Coup" planned to be held by the party.

Shortly after HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven and Diyarbakır MP Musa Farisoğulları were stripped of MP status, together with main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Enis Berberoğlu, the three were arrested while Berberoğlu has been released as part of pandemic measures.

In response, the HDP has decided to organize a march from the southeastern province of Hakkari and northwestern province of Edirne to the capital city of Ankara from June 15 to June 20. Welcoming ceremonies and statements for the press will be held along the two routes of the march in İstanbul, Van, Diyarbakır and Adana provinces.

CLICK - HDP to 'March for Democracy Against Coup'

With this march, the HDP aims to make sure that the requests of people be finally heard in the capital city of Ankara.

'We will come together with peoples, civil society'

Last night, HDP was not on TV, but on almost every channel was there the question, "What does the HDP aim with this march?" So, I would like to ask you: What does the HDP aim with this march?

As you would also remember, we shared a 'document of attitude' with the public of Turkey on June 1. This document raises demands for democracy, freedom, justice, job and daily bread.

In preparing this document, we foresaw the potential attacks that could come from the fascistic government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). We have seen that our predictions have turned out to be true. With our friends stripped of their MP status, we have accelerated the process for our march.

Because, here is the thing: We are the third party of Turkey and the AKP-MHP try to eliminate and intimidate the opposition through us. Most recently, our MPs' being stripped of their MP status also shows this.

They want us to accept this, they want the whole opposition to hush. We do not want to allow this to happen, we do not want to stay silent, we cannot stay silent in the face of this. That is why, we planned this march to meet with the peoples, civil society organizations and opinion leaders.

As people who have worries about the future of democracy in this country, we cannot stay silent. We want democracy against the coup.

What will be your slogan?

As it encompasses all demands within this context, the slogan of our march will be "democracy against the coup."

'We will help unheard demands to be heard'

Can you give us more details about the routes of the march?

In reference to Hakkari MP Leyla Güven and our former chair Selahattin Demirtaş held in Edirne Prison, our march will start in these two provinces.

Then, as for the route of the march, we will meet opinion leaders and peoples in provinces such as İstanbul, Van and Diyarbakır. We will hear their demands, we will bring their voices, their demands along with us to Ankara.

The government has shut its ears to the voice of the opposition. Protecting the interests of only its supporters, the government does not see or hear the demands of the poor, workers, Alevis, women, children, Muslims, Christians... Coming together with all segments of the society and listening to their demands, we will go to Ankara all together.

'It is the AKP-MHP that provoke the streets'

How do you expect the participation will be?

There is a lot of interest, I can say this. But, we are thinking of planning it in accordance with the pandemic conditions.

Some circles say that 'you will provoke the streets'. How would you respond to this?

It is not us, but the AKP-MHP that provoke the streets. We want to use our democratic right. The attitude of our party is oriented towards establishing the conditions of democracy, our priority is democracy.

Our position will be that of a party that uses its democratic right and we will make no concessions from this position. The AKP-MHP will be accountable for the tiniest problem we will have during the march.

We have no intention of provoking the streets. But, what AKP-MHP did in the past was oriented towards doing exactly this, provoking our people.

Appointing trustees and sharing the images and videos of tortured people means trying to provoke our people. All we will do is to use our democratic right and hold our march.

'Measures planned for the pandemic'

Some people also refer to pandemic and say that holding such a march amid pandemic is risky. What do you think about it?

They talk about the pandemic, but the mainstream media is staying silent in the face of trustees appointed to the municipalities that protected our people in Batman, Siirt and Iğdır amid pandemic, they turn a blind eye to this.

The pandemic works undertaken by the Siirt Baykan Municipality were exemplary. Having taken neither the pandemic nor public health into consideration, the AKP appointed trustees. It is the AKP-MHP that bear enmity towards this people and ignore public health.

We will hold our march by observing mask and social distance rules. Measures are being planned for the pandemic.

What happened?

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu and HDP Hakkari and Diyarbakır MPs Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları were stripped of their MP status on June 4 on the ground that there were finalized court rulings against them.

While all three were arrested on the same day, CHP's Berberoğlu has been released and sent home as part of coronavirus measures.

Put on trial with Can Dündar, the former Editor-in-Chief of daily Cumhuriyet, for giving him the footage of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) trucks allegedly carrying weapons to Syria, Enis Berberoğlu has been sentenced to 5 years, 10 months for "disclosing information that needs to be kept confidential for the security of the state or domestic or international interests for purposes of political and military espionage."

While Diyarbakır 2nd Heavy Penal Court has sentenced Musa Farisoğulları to 9 years in prison for "membership of an armed terrorist organization", Leyla Güven has also been sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison on the same charge and by the same court.

The prison sentences of Berberoğlu, Farisoğulları and Güven have been upheld by the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation.

(EMK/SD)