Efkan Ala Defines March in Sur as ‘Provocation’
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Minister of Interior Efkan Ala has called “provocation” for the march call of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş. The march to be held against curfews and operations in Sur district of Diyarbakır will take place today (March 2).
Ala answering the questions of journalists said, “Those igniting provocation are responsible for the consequences too. Our call on our citizens to not give credit to such provocations. We are taking all legal stops for their peace and security. In the coming days, hopefully we will establish the peace environment and present to them”.
Ala spoke as follows upon the question on whether the operations will persist:
“It will persist wherever there is a ditch, a bomb device, a terrorist perturbing our citizens. But there is no problem in places where they are absent. We will hopefully provide peace and security there”.
Call, probe, ban
Co-chairs of DTK, HDK, HDP, and DBP in a joint statement made call on people to march towards the district in protest of curfews and operations launched in Sur district.
Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecution Bureau of Anti-Terror Crime Investigation, has launched probe into Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Kamuran Yüksek over “calling people to take it to the street” in their press meeting.
Selahattin Demirtaş said the following in his speech he made in Diyarbakır:
“We are at the moment in another neighborhood of Sur. Clashes, operations are ongoing 100 meters ahead of us.
“Meeting and dialogues have been held on as democratic political institutes in the presence of government in Ankara, and on local level in Diyarbakır to not let conflict grow, destructions and deaths increase.
“Unfortunately, our efforts haven’t produced results. Hundreds of people in Sur have lost their lives because of the understanding AKP (Justice and Development Party) has at presently imposed on.
“We don’t see conducting a war for 24 hours a day for three months in the middle of the city as a normal situation. All Diyarbakır community should be on their feet to have the blockade in Sur removed.
“Everyone shall march towards Sur on Wednesday (today) at 4 p.m. This is a democratic right in neighborhood and districts. Our request of our people is to be determined and insistent. Everyone shall say we will not step back before the blockade is removed. This is our call for all NGOs, trade bodies, worker and artisan organizations, and all foundations in our city. (BK/TK)