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The killing of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) worker Deniz Poyraz in an armed attack by a man named O.G. has caused a public outrage.

At around 11 a.m. today (June 17), the man entered the HDP İzmir Provincial Organization in Konak district and shot Poyraz to death.

In response to this attack and the killing of party worker Deniz Poyraz, a crisis desk has been reportedly set up at the HDP Central Office.

'A continuation of political genocide'

HDP İzmir MP Serpil Kemalbay has referred to the mothers staging a sit-in protest in front of the HDP Diyarbakır office. She has said that there is an attempt to create mothers in İzmir like the ones in Diyarbakır. According to Kemalbay, accompanied by police, women are brought in front of the party building everyday. The MP has briefly said the following to bianet:

"These attacks are a continuation of the political genocide. A continuation of the political plot against the HDP... It is closely related to the closure case filed against the HDP... The prosecutor is doing an examination inside the building now. We have a death, we are aggrieved."

Kemalbay has added: "We are waiting together with our people under police blockade. The mother of Deniz is here, her father and relatives are here. The prosecutor is doing an examination inside [the building]. Let me share the information that we have received from there.

"As far as we have been informed, the incident happened at around 11.50 a.m. Our İzmir Provincial Organization Co-Chair Abdullah came in front of the party. He saw that there were three plain-clothes police officers in front of the door. They were looking at the building.

"He thought that it was something routine, something that they always do. Then, gunshots were heard from inside. A horrific attack before the eyes of the police, a horrific attack waiting to happen...

"The assailant first shot our sister Deniz in her feet, then, he shot her in her body. There are bullets inside her body.

"Then, he fired his gun at the photo of [jailed HDP politician] Sebahat Tuncel on the wall. Afterwards, he shot around randomly.

"If there had been more people inside... He apparently went there to kill them all. While the police were waiting at the door, this person was inside. Before the death occurred, the police were at the door.

"Deniz was killed because the police did not do their duty. It is an attack within the knowledge of the authorities. We are so sorry."

'Reward-like sentences for perptrators'

Speaking to bianet, HDP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair and Siirt MP Meral Danış-Beştaş has said that the government is responsible for the attack. Danış-Beştaş has briefly stated the following:

"In previous attacks, we saw that perpetrators were given sentences like rewards in the ensuing trials. Imagine; even the police officer waiting in front of the party does not catch the person who attacked the central office of our party. It is apparent that these attacks are condoned.

"The one responsible for these attacks is the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP; the government is responsible for these attacks. The ones who target our party on TVs are responsible.

"We see these attacks as a continuation of the closure case filed against the HDP. Those who try to destroy the HDP in this way will have to accept it. Whenever the government is in trouble, it stirs tension through the HDP. It has the HDP debated on TV everyday, it targets the HDP.

"In attacks like this, the perpetrators are given reward-like sentences. That was what happened in the previous attacks. This is not the first attack. The HDP is a party which has seen such attacks. The people lay claim to the HDP for this reason. HDP is the peoples' party." 

Kürkçü: There were 3 assailants

On the other side, HDP Honorary Chair and former HDP İzmir MP Ertuğrul Kürkçü has argued that there were 3 assailants involved in the attack.

Kürkçü has tweeted the following message: "Details of the murder being revealed... Three armed [people] entered [the building]. There was coincidentally only HDP's Deniz Poyraz, working in the kitchen. They shot her to death. They tried to set the building on fire. Two assailants fled. The fb [Facebook] profile of the caught Onur Gencer tells a lot..."

Cinayetin ayrıntıları geliyor... 3 silahlı içeri giriyor. O sırada tesadüfen sadece mutfakta çalışan genç HDP'li kadın Deniz Poyraz var. Onu ateş ederek öldürüyorlar. Binayı yakmaya çalışıyorlar. 2 saldırgan kaçıyor. Yakalanan Onur Gencer'in fb profili çok şey anlatıyor... https://t.co/y4w30sw4Gk pic.twitter.com/bQ4DpxUVxP

— Ertuğrul Kürkçü (@ekurkcuHDP) June 17, 2021

(EMK/SD)