* Photo: EU Delegation to Turkey - social media account

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In the wake of the armed attack that claimed the life of party member Deniz Poyraz on June 17, the İzmir Provincial Organization of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has been receiving visits of condolences.

Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer Landrut, the Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Turkey, also paid a visit to the HDP İzmir Office yesterday (June 21). Ambassador Meyer-Landrut made the following statement: "I am here to condemn the terrible attack on the HDP headquarter here in İzmir last week. I am here to pay my respect to the victim and her family and to convey in person my condolences to the local HDP leadership."

Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer Landrut paid a visit to HDP İzmir Provincial Organisation. Ambassador Meyer-Landrut made the following statement: pic.twitter.com/NoMY7gFGeT

— AB Türkiye Delegasyonu ???????? EU Delegation Turkey (@EUDelegationTur) June 21, 2021

Visits to the HDP Central Office

The representatives of various institutions and organizations also paid a visit to the HDP Central Office in Ankara and expressed their condolences over the deadly attack that claimed the life of Deniz Poyraz.

In addition to Revolutionary Party Chair Elif Torun Öneren and the delegation accompanying her, Dersim Ovacık District Mayor Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu and representatives from the organizations such as the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and Bureau Laborers' Union (BES) also visited the HDP headquarters in the capital city and expressed their condolences and solidarity.

The visits were received by HDP Co-Chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, HDP Spokesperson Ebru Günay, HDP Co-Chairs Tuncer Bakırhan and Şaziye Köse and Party Assembly member Ali Özkan.

In his visit, Ovacık Mayor Maçoğlu emphasized the importance of thwarting the attacks "by standing shoulder to shoulder."

He said, "The duty falling on us communists, revolutionaries and public-spirited people is to stand side by side in such cases and to thwart the attacks, but to also wage a struggle for this at the same time. We think that such attacks are carried out against the conscience of Turkey, against the commonsense of Turkey and against the peoples of Turkey."

Meeting with Maçoğlu, HDP Co-Chair Buldan said, "The massacre of our comrade Deniz cannot be considered a coincidental or ordinary incident. This is the manifestation of a highly planned incident, a planned mindset. Therefore, the bullet fired at Deniz was fired at all democracy forces and what is desired to be done here is to intimidate."

Further in her statement, HDP Co-Chair Buldan added, "The attack was the joint plan of the government and its partner and it was done against the democracy forces of Turkey, but as its target, the Kurds and HDP are - of course - at the forefront. But this bullet was fired at us all."

During the visits of the Ankara branch representatives of the DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and TTB, it was similarly underlined that the attack targeted the democracy forces; the importance of a joint struggle was also emphasized. (AS/SD)