The Ones Detained in Trustee Protests in Ankara Released

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Ankara Provincial Organization of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) wanted to protest the recent appointment of trustees to five HDP municipalities in front of their party building yesterday (May 20). However, the police did not allow the protest to take place.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), HDP Ankara Provincial Co-Chair Vezir Coşkun Parlak was taken into custody by the police while he was attempting to read out a statement for the press.

Protesting the intervention, HDP members chanted the slogans, "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism," "HDP is the people and the people is here" and "Down with the AKP's fascism." They also staged a sit-in protest inside the party building. The police intervened against the protesters.

HDP Halktır, Halk Burada!!! #KayyumDarbedir pic.twitter.com/bnQdWxtKYy

— HDP Ankara (@HDPankara) May 20, 2020

"HDP is the people and the people is here!!!"

Police officers did not allow the HDP members to leave the building and battered them. HDP Party Assembly member and lawyer Alişan Şahin was forced to lie on the ground and handcuffed from his back.

HDP Central Executive Committee (MYK) member and sociologist Veli Saçılık was taken into custody. Former HDP Hakkari MP Nihat Akdoğan and HDP members Deniz Akil, Zeyno Bayramoğlu, Mehmet Şerif and three other unidentified persons were also detained during the intervention.

The police blockaded the party building.

HDP members will file a complaint

Nine people, including Veli Saçılık, Alişan Şahin and Nihat Akdoğan have been released from detention.

Charged with "violating the law on meetings and demonstrations," they have been released following a medical examination at the hospital.

HDP Ankara Provincial Co-Chair Vezir Coşkun Parlak, who was also among the detained, was reportedly injured in his head during the intervention of the police, he had five stitches on his head due to these blows and he also had bruises in other parts of his body.

Having received a medical report documenting that they were battered, the HDP members will file criminal complaint against the police.

What happened?

On May 15, 2020, the Ministry of Interior dismissed HDP's Siirt Provincial Co-Mayor Berivan Helen Işık, Baykan District Co-Mayor Ramazan Sarsılmaz, Kurtalan District Co-Mayor Baran Akgül, Iğdır Provincial Co-Mayor Yaşar Akkuş and Altınova Town Co-Mayor Casim Budak. Trustees have been appointed in place of dismissed HDP co-mayors. The ousted co-mayors were detained shortly afterwards.

Altınova Co-Mayor Casim Budak was arrested on May 16 and Iğdır Co-Mayor Yaşar Akkuş was arrested on May 18.

Siirt Co-Mayor Berivan Helen Işık, Baykan District Mayors Ramazan Sarsılmaz and Özden Gülmez and Kurtalan District Co-Mayor Baran Akgül were released to house arrest on May 19.

In the last local elections on March 31, 2019, the HDP won 65 municipalities across Turkey, including three metropolitan municipalities, namely Van, Mardin and Diyarbakır. While trustees have been appointed to 45 HDP municipalities so far, six elected co-mayors were not given their certificates of election because they had been discharged from public service by statutory decrees. (EMK/SD)