Photos: Evrim Kepenek / bianet
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The Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) march from the northwestern and southeastern edges of Turkey to its capital Ankara against the dismissal of its MPs and mayors is on the third day.
HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan, who leads the group that began marching from the Edirne province in the northwest, was in İstanbul today, while the other group started from Hakkari with Co-Chair Mithat Sancar arrived in Bitlis.
After visiting the Labor Party (EMEP), Buldan went to the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) to meet with members of the Coordination of Union for Democracy (DİB).
"HDP receives six million votes"
Speaking at the meeting, Buldan said, "This country needs peace, freedoms. We started this march within this framework. As part of this program, we have given important messages from two symbolic cities. This march started from the two cities gives an important message to the peoples of Turkey, and especially to the government."
She added that they intended to express what needs to be done with regard to the country's future and to start a period of struggle.
"We will talk about the problems of Turkey with the Union for Democracy coordination. We know that our friends in the coordination made and will make great contributions to Turkey's struggle for peace, democracy.
"Maybe this is a long and rough journey, [but] we have begun this journey knowing [that there will be] obstacles. Everyone knows that HDP will not act for provocation purposes. Today, HDP is the third [largest] party of Turkey, receiving the votes of six million people. The AKP government is trying to keep itself alive as it loses votes. We also know how to frustrate these games.
"The democracy march we have started is being discussed on all TV channels today. It is said that our march has provocative purposes. Yesterday, a journalist said, 'There is no such party as HDP, there is no such problem as the Kurdish problem.' TV broadcasts are made about HDP without the presence of HDP.
"If peace and democracy are to come to this country, HDP will bring these. If there will be a solution in this country, HDP will bring the solution. There is only one party that stands against all the oppression and its name is HDP."
DİB: The march is a constitutional right
Speaking after Buldan, Ayşegül Devecioğlu, a writer and a member of the DİB, said that they would continue the struggle and walk on the same path with the HDP.
"Thus far, we have worked together for the peaceful solution of the Kurdish question, for equal citizenship, in the struggle against the government that disregards all democratic rights and freedoms, that attacks all the democratic accumulation of the society, and especially in taking a stance against trustee appointments.
"We will also continue to work together from now on. We have declared that we support HDP's 'March for Justice' by making a statement for the press. We never consider this as a provocation. We will continue this struggle and walk on the same path with HDP." (EMK/VK)
