Investigation Launched Against Signatories of Afrin Letter
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An investigation has been launched against 170 people, who sent a petition to MPs, demanding a halt to the military operations by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) targeting Afrin, a predominantly Kurdish province that neighbors Turkey.
11 months after the letter was declared to the public, some signatories have been summoned to the Anti-Teror Department to depose. In the police interrogation, the signatories have been asked "What was their purpose of signing the petition, which was asking not to conduct the operation."
A news story by the pro-government TV channel A Haber entitled "Second Declaration Scandal with 170 Signatures" has also been added to the investigation file, diken.com.tr reported.
CLICK - 12 of 170 Peace Signatories File Criminal Complaint Against Erdoğan
Erdoğan called the signatories "traitors"
The 170 signatories, including politicians, academics, artists, journalists and civil society representatives demanded dialog to solve problems and the letter was sent to all MPs at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in January.
President and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called the signatories "immoral, conscienceless traitors" and said, "You should know that our martyrs will be avenged. What these people do is hypocrisy, it is being human shield for terrorists."
What did the letter say?The letter sent to MPs from different political parties –AKP (315), CHP (135), HDP (59) and MHP (35)– reads: "We, the undersigned citizens, are calling out to you on behalf of millions for the authority and responsibility you hold in your hands. "We want peace and calm in our country and our region, not war. We believe the best way to protect our borders and not face a threat to our survival is reciprocal friendship and reinforcement of neighbor relations. We know from experience that our safety will be ensured not through billions spent on arms or young people's lives or a war that will leave ten thousands of families without a home, but through reciprocal negotiations and collaborations, and that this is possible. "We know that an armed intervention in Afrin, which is Syria's territory and does not pose a threat to Turkey, will not bring our country peace and safety, but bigger problems, devastation and anguish, and that it will deeply hurt our Kurdish citizens. "In the current state of affairs where even the military presence of foreign states that have turned the Middle East into an inferno of proxy wars is a violation of international law, an intention of and steps towards joining their ranks will only lead our country to disappointment and cause social, political, economic, and humanitarian losses that will remain irreparable for decades. "With our identities and responsibilities as citizens, and with our people and history our witness, we warn you, wielders of authority, and urge you to hear us and act in common sense, to stop the war immediately, and to solve the problem through dialogue." |
170 signatories
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Abdullah Demirbaş, Fatma Bostan Ünsal, Nimet Tanrıkulu, Abdülbaki Erdoğmuş, Ferhat Tunç, Nimet Yardımcı, Ahmet Aykaç, Fethiye Çetin, Nur Bekata Mardin, Ahmet Faruk Ünsal, Fidan Eroğlu, Nurcan Baysal, Ahmet İnsel, Fikret Ünlü, Nurhan Keeler, Ahmet Özdemir Aktan, Füsun Ertuğ, Nurten Ertuğrul, Ahmet Tonak, Genco Erkal, Olga Hünler, Akın Birdal, Gençay Gürsoy, Onur Hamzaoğlu, Ali Bilge, Gonca Gül Gedikoğlu, Orhan Alkaya, Ali Haydar Konca, Gönül Saray, Orhan Silier, Ali Uçansu, Gülriz Sururi, Oya Baydar, Arzu Başaran, Gülseren Onanç, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, Aslıhan Karabacak Calviello, Gülten Kaya, Ömer Laçiner, Aydın Arı, Gürhan Ertür, Ömer Madra, Aydın Selcen, Hacer Ansal, Özgün E. Bulut, Aynur Özuğurlu, Halil Ergün, Özgür Müftüoğlu, Ayşe Erzan, Hasan Cemal, Pınar Kılıçer, Ayşe Hür, Hasip Kaplan, Rakel Dink, Ayşe Nur Doksat, Hıdır Işık, Rıfat Yüzbaşıoğlu, Ayşegül Devecioğlu, Hüda Kaya, Salman Kaya, Ayten Yıldırım, Hürriyet Karadeniz, Savaş Demirci, Bahattin Yücel, Hüsamettin Cindoruk, Sefa Feza Arslan, Baki Tezcan, Hüseyin Ayrılmaz, Sema Kaygusuz, Baskın Oran, Hüsnü Okçuoğlu, Semih Bilgen, Belgin Koç, İhsan Eliaçık, Semih Gümüş, Beyza Üstün, Kıvanç Ersoy, Semra Somersan, Binnaz Toprak, Kumru Toktamış, Serhat Baysan, Burhan Sönmez, Kuvvet Lordoğlu, Servet Demir, Bülent Utku, Lale Mansur, Simten Coşar, Celal Korkut Yıldırım, Lati Akyüz, Suavi, Celalettin Can, Levent Tüzel, Suna Uluçınar Aygün, Cem Mansur, Mebuse Tekay, Süleyman Çelebi, Cem Özatalay, Mehmet Rasgelener, Şahika Yüksel, Cengiz Arın, Mehmet Rauf Sandalcı, Şanar Yurdatapan, Ceren Şengül, Melehat Kutun, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Cihangir İslam, Melek Taylan, Tahsin Yeşildere, Defne Asal, Meral Camcı, Taner Akçam, Deniz Türkali, Meryem Koray, Tarhan Erdem, Deniz Yonucu, Mete Çetik, Tarık Ziya Ekinci, Dilek Gökçin, Mine Gencel Bek, Tatyos Bebek, Ece Temelkuran, Muammer Keskin, Tebesssüm Yılmaz, Ekrem Baran, Muhammed Salar, Tilbe Saran, Elif Sandal Önal, Murat Belge, Tuna Altınel, Emine Uşaklıgil, Murat Çeyişakar, Tümay İmre, Engin Sustam, Murat Morova, Ufuk Uras, Erdal Kalkan, Mustafa Altıntop, Ümit Kıvanç, Erdoğan Aydın, Mustafa Paçal, Ümit Özgümüş, Erol Katırcıoğlu, Muzaffer Kaya, Viki Çiprut, Ersin Salman, Nadire Mater, Yakın Ertürk, Ertuğrul Günay, Nalan Erbil, Yasemin Bektaş, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Nazan Aksoy, Zehra Kabasakal Arat, Ertuğrul Yalçınbayır, Nazar Büyüm, Zelal Ekinci, Esra Arsan, Necmiye Alpay, Zeynep Oral, Esra Mungan, Nesrin Nas, Zeynep Tanbay, Eşref Erdem, Nesteren Davutoğlu, Zişan Kürüm, Fadıl Öztürk, Neşe Erdilek, Ziya Halis, Fadime Gök, Neşe Yaşin, Zülfü Livaneli, Fahrettin Dağlı, Nil Mutluer. |
(TP/VK)