‘United Struggle Forces’ statement: 61 people referred to courthouse

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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A group of people, including politicians, met in İstanbul's Kadıköy district on February 4 to issue the founding declaration of the United Struggle Forces platform and to express their support for the ongoing protests of students against the appointed rector of Boğaziçi University.

Shortly afterwards, 61 people were detained by the police.

Interrogated by the police at the Security Branch of the İstanbul Security Directorate, 61 people underwent a medical examination at Bayrampaşa Public Hospital and Eyüpsultan Public Hospital.

Following their medical examination at the public hospitals, they have been referred to the İstanbul Anadolu Courthouse in Kartal.

Among the detained are reportedly Socialist Party of the Oppressed Co-Chair Şahin Tümüklü, Revolutionary Party Chair Elif Torun Öneren and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul Co-Chair Elif Bulut as well as representatives, members and executives of the Alınteri (a socialist workers' newspaper), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Struggle Union Platform, Socialist Assemblies Federation, United Youth Assemblies and Partisan.

Ban on meetings and demonstrations

On the other side, the Sub-Governor's Office of Kartal has banned all protest demonstrations and marches in the district for seven days. 

As the reason for the ban, the sub-governor's office has referred to the calls made on social media by some civil society organizations and groups to gather in front of the Anadolu Courthouse in the district.

Referring to the attempted gatherings, the office has announced that "all types of meetings, demonstrations and marches in open and closed spaces have been banned for a period of 7 days as of February 8 as per the Article 17 of the Law no 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations and the Article 32/Ç of the Provincial Administration Law no. 5442."

The office has imposed the ban "as it considered that the planned gatherings might negatively affect the efforts to maintain public peace and security, public order, to protect others' rights and freedoms, to prevent committal of crimes and occurence of deplorable and provocative incidents, to protect public health and to curb the spread of the outbreak."

Police intervention in Kadıköy

On February 4, a group of people, including politicians, met in İstanbul's Kadıköy district to issue the founding declaration of the United Struggle Forces platform and to express their support for the ongoing protests of students against the appointed rector of Boğaziçi University.

The police prevented the group from marching to Kadıköy Rıhtım to make a press statement and declare the foundation of the United Struggle Forces. 65 people were battered and detained by the police.

While all roads leading to the area were closed, the area where the statement was to be held was cordoned off with barricades. HDP MPs were also prevented and battered by the police during the intervention.

Four of the detained were released as they were younger than 18. (TP/SD)