Professional Organizations and Dersim Mayor Maçoğlu in Diyarbakır

* Photograph: Twitter account of DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu

Click to read the article in Turkish

The people of Diyarbakır, Van and Mardin have been protesting against the appointment of trustees to three Metropolitan Municipalities of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) over the past nine days.

Today's sit-in protest in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır was attended by dismissed Mayor of Diyarbakır Selçuk Mızraklı, HDP MPs, Dersim Mayor Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu, Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK) Co-Chair Mehmet Bozgeyik, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Chair Sinan Adıyaman, Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) 2nd Chair Selçuk Uluata.

Çerkezoğlu: None of our rights is guaranteed

Speaking at the sit-in protest, DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu has underlined that the appointment of trustees is a blow to democracy and added:

"The indispensable rule of democracy in a country is respecting the right to vote and to be elected as well as people's will. In a country where the will of the people is seized in such an open manner, no rights are guaranteed.

"The target of this coup is the existence of millions across Turkey who have not surrendered to fascism and oppression. This will expressed by the peoples of Turkey manifested itself in March 31 and June 23 elections."

Maçoğlu: We will do it by coming together

Dersim Mayor Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu has also stressed the importance of a joint struggle against the trustees and stated the following in brief:

"We know that all peoples of Turkey, workers, the oppressed, the labor front will overcome this by coming together. We know that, not only as a political understanding, but the youth and women in the country will do it by coming together. Though we are not here, our conscience has been in Diyarbakır, Van and Mardin for 9 nine days. Our conscience will be here from now on." (RT/SD)