'March for Democracy' on the third day: 'They fear democracy'

Photo: MA

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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) continued its "March for Democracy against the Coup" from eastern and western parts of Turkey to its capital, Ankara, on the third day.

Before leaving Van for Bitlis, the eastern group made a statement for the press at the party's provincial building, the Mesopotamia Agency reported.

"They want to stop the march on the ground of corona. What matters to them is not corona, it's the fear of democracy. We know that well," said Saliha Aydeniz, the co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the HDP's ally in the mostly Kurdish populated eastern and southeastern regions of the country.

Ahead of the HDP's march, governors of 10 provinces banned all demonstrations due to the coronavirus epidemic.

"AKP is continuing political coups. This march will bring democracy to the peoples of Turkey, freedom to Kurdistan. We denounce the attacks on Makhmur and Shingal," she said, referring to Turkey's recent military operation into the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.

"This government insists on war, insists on fascism. HDP opposes this. HDP presents an alternative to Turkey's society. The government fears democracy, freedom and equality. This march will continue until Ankara," Aydeniz remarked.

After the statement, the group set off for Bitlis.

"This country needs peace"

The eastern group led by HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan visited the Labor Party (EMEP) in İstanbul today.

Buldan and EMEP Chair Selma Gürkan spoke to reporters at the party's headquarters in Bakırköy district, with the latter announcing support for the march.

"The demands you have made with the march are demands that reveal the problems of the political period that the country is getting through and that will also pave the way for the democratization of the country," she said.

"The demands of the march are not just the demands of the HDP. they are also demands that reveal the country's problem of democracy," she added.

Speaking after Gürkan, Buldan said that they gave "important messages from the two symbolic cities" where they started the march.

"We are getting through a period where there is no democracy, no rights, no law, no justice, that political representatives are in prison, those who were elected are in prison, those who want peace, real democracy are in prison. All these are actually a sign that Turkey cannot be governed," she remarked.

Regarding the pro-government media's coverage of the march, Buldan said, "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."

(EMK/VK)