‘A Breath for Democracy’ rally in İzmir

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The İzmir Labor and Democracy Forces, an umbrella platform of several civil society organizations, political parties and labor organizations, organized "A Breath for Democracy" rally at the Gündoğdu Square in Turkey's Aegean province of İzmir yesterday (July 8).

At the rally, which was held with the slogan "People like Deniz will win, fascism will lose", people carried the photographs of the late Deniz Poyraz, who was killed in the armed attack targeting the İzmir office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on June 17.

The groups carried banners that read "Deniz Poyraz is our revolt" and "We won't be intimidated for independence, democracy, freedom and peace" and chanted the slogans "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism", "You will be brought to book for Deniz" and "Right, law, justice."

Among the ones who attended the rally were Deniz Poyraz's mother Fehime Poyraz, HDP Co-Chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, HDP İzmir MPs Serpil Kemalbay and Murat Çepni, İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İzmir Chair Deniz Yücel, CHP İzmir MP Mahir Polat, CHP's district chairs and representatives from the People's Houses, Labor Party, TÖP, Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), 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), İzmir Bar Association, Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD), Libertarian Lawyers Association (ÖHD) and Alevi-Bektashi Federation.

'Whatever keeps us together is under threat'

Memiş Sarı, the DİSK Aegean Representative and a member of the Organization Committee, addressed the crowd at the rally by making a speech on behalf of the İzmir Labor and Democracy Forces.

He said, "Whatever keeps us together; democracy, justice and peace... They are all openly under threat. Women, young people, workers, unemployed people, laborers, villagers, pensioners are being openly ruined. We will not stay silent in the face of this."

Sarı noted that the massacre of Deniz Poyraz and the closure case filed against the HDP is an attack on peace and law:

Deniz Poyraz was massacred in the HDP İzmir Office, in daylight and before the eyes of all security forces; on the same day, a closure case was filed against the HDP again. This is openly an attack on democracy, law and peace. We vehemently condemn this fascist attack. Social agreement, solidarity, Constitution and the law are being torn to shreds.

In his statement, Sarı also referred to Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention by a Presidential decision, which became final on July 1: "We will never give up on the İstanbul Convention."

Sarı condemned the attacks stemming from discrimination of any stripe as well as the attacks on the Pride March:

We will keep on defending all sexual orientations' struggle for existence and fraternity of all colors and peoples. Our democratic gains, fundamental rights and freedoms and universities are desired to be destroyed; peace is replaced by war, democracy is replaced by trustees, freedoms are replaced by summaries of proceedings, gender equality is replaced by violence targeting women, feminicides and impunity for child abuse, the right to life is replaced by political murders and hate crimes.

Concluding his remarks, Memiş Sarı said, "We said, 'What you will give today is the breath that you will take freely tomorrow. Thank you very much for raising that voice, İzmir; thank you very much on behalf of the İzmir Labor and Democracy Forces for coming. We are so lucky to have you, we are so lucky to be comrades, we are so lucky to be side by side."

'We are together to the end'

İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer, who was nominated by the main opposition CHP, also made a speech at the rally.

"In setting out, we said, 'Many colors, many breaths.' We said, 'We will foster the labor and democracy forces of İzmir.' We will keep working with this purpose in mind. We will keep on working hard together shoulder to shoulder for this beautiful country. We have our energy, we have our strength. We are together to the end," said Tunç Soyer in brief.

'We will keep struggling shoulder to shoulder'

After Tunç Soyer, CHP İzmir Provincial Organization Chair Deniz Yücel also made a statement. Yücel briefly said:

I salute everyone who is at this square for democracy, justice and freedom. I salute everyone who wants a decent society, decent politics and a decent Republic of Turkey. They have caused so much damage, they have broken down our people, they have pitted brothers and sisters against one another.

CHP's Deniz Yücel also said, "We will remove those dictatorship-minded people from there with our all friends who believe in this and who trust this. We will do it with the ballot box, with democracy."

'A special meaning for choosing İzmir for the attack'

HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan also held a speech at the rally. "We are greatly honored to be in İzmir today. We believe that we will give a good message from the İzmir Gündoğdu Square to the ones who have dragged the country to darkness," said Buldan in starting her speech.

Referring to the attack on the HDP İzmir office, which claimed the life of Deniz Poyraz, Pervin Buldan said, "There is a special meaning and a separate target for choosing İzmir," briefly adding:

"Because İzmir is a very colorful city, just like the HDP; we know that İzmir was specially chosen because İzmir is a city that encompasses all different beliefs, languages and identities. We once again damn and condemn this massacre from here. We remember our dear Deniz and we promise her that we will make her dreams come true."

Noting that the ones governing the country do not want the attack to be investigated and the responsible parties to be brought to light, Buldan said, "They condemned it only for the show of it; they wanted to spread fear in society with this massacre. But they were wrong. They won't be able to do it. Because the entire Turkey became İzmir, it became Deniz and the entire Turkey became the HDP and from the HDP."

Buldan also stressed that the Kurdish question is solely the issue of the HDP, but that of the entire country:

The solution to the Kurdish question does not lie solely in Diyarbakır; the solution to the Kurdish question also lies in İzmir, İstanbul, Ankara and at the Parliament. For this reason, we call out to all political parties from here: This problem is the problem of us all; if this problem is solved, this government will lose. All peoples of Turkey have to solve this problem together. This is the problem of all parties doing politics in Turkey, except for the government.

'We will build path to peace with these meetings'

Taking the floor after Pervin Buldan, HDP Co-Chair Mithat Sancar said, "Those bullets that targeted Deniz Poyraz, in fact, wanted to end the joint struggle of the Turkish and Kurdish peoples. We are giving the answer from this square, from İzmir. The joint struggle of the peoples will not end. People like Deniz Gezmiş and Deniz Poyraz will continue enlightening our way."

Sancar also said, "We will build the path to peace with these meetings. We will establish democracy at these squares. We will not establish it in the lobbies of Ankara, but at the bosom of the people."

Afterwards, Praksis and Bajar music bands performed at the rally. (KÖ/SD)