‘The ones polarizing the society are the perpetrators of Deniz Poyraz’

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

North Caucasians have released a joint statement on Deniz Poyraz, who was killed in the armed attack against the İzmir Provincial Organization building of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on June 17.

Signed by 13 non-governmental organizations and individual people who define themselves as "the North Caucasians who are on the side of democracy and peace," the joint statement reads as follows:

"We would like to declare that we see the politicians who have polarized the society with a language of hate and violence from the past to present as the perpetrators of Deniz Poyraz.

"We condemn the ones who continue filling the society with grudge and hatred despite this atrocity that unfolded today.

"We will stand up against hate, violence, racism, unlawfulness, injustice and monism; we will not stay silent in the face of them.

"We will protect our mountains and lowlands from plunder, our children from lies and the institutions and representatives of peoples from all types of pressures, terror and unlawfulness by standing shoulder to shoulder and struggling together with all peoples of Turkey!"

The undersigned:

- Platform for Exchange of Opinions in the Light of Xabze
- Circassian Action Group
- Anti-Fascist Circassians
- North Caucasian Peoples' Labor and Democracy Front
- Almastı Circassian Women's Movement
- Circassia Movement
- Adige Language Group
- Jıneps Newspaper
- Revolutionary Abrəcs
- Circassian Left - Circassian Patriotic Movement
- Circassian Page Admins
- Circassian Forum
- Unservile Circassians

A. Kadir Polat, A. Seda Berzeg, Abhaz Rakip Erbaş, Adil Gökmen, Ahmet Cevat Benk, Ali Atar, Aslan Bozkurt, Asya Biray Kutlu, Avni Gonejiko, Aydın Ağlamaz, Aysel Çiçek, Ayten Cengiz, Azmi Aslan, Barboros Vidal, Belgin Erkaymaz Aydın, Belgin Koç, Bij Mehmet Yener, Birgül Asena Güven, Can Dağtekin, Canberk Apiş, Cemal Demirok, Derya Düşünür, Dilek Bayırtürdü, Doğan Çelik, Doğan Sungur, Ece Yılmaz, Efe Süleyman, Emel Yağanoğlu, Emine Tuksal, Erdoğan Yılmaz, Eren Dağtekin, Erhan Altıntepe, Erol Kip, Ersin Salih Alcan, Feridun Güray, Fügen Dede, Gül Yılmaz, Gülfer Midas, Gürhan Kuşhan, Hacı Keleş, Haluk Dönmez, Harun Kartal, Hatko Osman Yavuz, Hatko Semanur, Hayri Ata, Hayriye Sarı, Hıdır Gül, Hürriyet Uğuroğlu, Hüseyin Nihat Yerçok, Işık Bozkurt, İbrahim Başkan, İlyas Alhas, İrfan Yavuz, İsa Şahingöz, İsrafil Güler, Kadri Ergün, Kevser Yetkiner, Kürşat Doğan, Leyla Aydemir, Leyla Kılıç, Lyde Şahin, Mediha Gezgin, Mehmet Eren, Mehmet Selçuk Kaplan, Mehmet Yücel, Metin Ayhan Çelik, Metin Uğurtepe, Muammer Akgül, Muammer Tekin, Muhterem Avcıoğlu, Murat Boran, Murat Özden, Mustafa Kavaklı, Mükerrem Ateş, Kardan Nafiz Aydemir, Nalan Yasan, Nejdet Karaçay, Nejla Okyay, Neslin Gümüş, Osman Dumrul, Ömer Kaya, Özdemir Seçgin, Puhati Sevda Alankuş, Recep Güler, Sabahattin Karaçay, Samet Gök, Sedat Sezan, Selçuk Aydemir, Semra Aksoy, Serap Canbek, Sevim Yaşar Güler, Seyfil Doğan, Sezgin Domaniç, Sibel Baykal, Süleyman Koçer, Şenay Liğur, Tevfik Buğakaptan, Tkhostati Engin Polat, Tuncay Duygu, Tuncay Tuncelli, Tuncer Kurşun, Turgut Aydın, Tünay Güray, Türkan Varol, Ufuk Güneş, Ümit Duduoğlu, Ümit Örten, Vedat Akdaş, Vedat Aslan, Wrım Ayup Eyüp Yavuz, Yaşar Güven, Yaşar Yılmaz Altunbilek, Zafer Elvanoğlu, Zafer Süren, Ziya Kaplan.

What happened?

A male perpetrator named Onur Gencer carried out an armed attack on the HDP İzmir office on June 17 and killed party worker Deniz Poyraz.

Gencer was arrested the next day. In his statement, he said that "he would have killed whoever was inside the office."

The HDP announced that "there was going to be a meeting on that day, but it was postponed." While the killing of Deniz Poyraz caused a public outrage, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke about the attack two days later.

Devlet Bahçeli, the Chair of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is a part of the ruling alliance, made targeting and accusatory remarks about Deniz Poyraz after her passing. (AÖ/SD)