HDP to ‘March for Democracy Against Coup’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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After Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları have been stripped of MP status and arrested, the HDP has decided to hold a "March for Democracy Against Coup."

Two groups will set off on the march from Turkey's northwestern Edirne province and southeastern Hakkari province on June 15 and will simultaneously march to the capital city of Ankara till June 20.

As reported by the Mezopotamya News Agency (MA), welcoming ceremonies and statements for the press will be held along the route of the march in İstanbul, Diyarbakır and Adana provinces.

With the "Document of Democratic Attitude" unveiled by the party on June 1, the HDP is planning to meet directly with the people and to organize events until September 1 World Peace Day within this context.

Çelik: There is an outbreak

Ömer Çelik, the Spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), addressed a question on the march yesterday (June 8). Çelik briefly stated the following about the issue:

"We are going through a period of outbreak now. Meetings that would put our citizens at risk should in now way be the case, everyone needs to be sensitive about this. An action needs to be taken with this sensitivity.

"The organization that we call a terrorist organization is a network that kills our soldiers and civilian people and wants to destroy our democracy and republic. It is out of the question that we permit any type of protest that will propagandize for this. Moreover, everyone needs to show the necessary responsibility in the period of an outbreak."

What happened?

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu and HDP Hakkari and Diyarbakır MPs Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları were stripped of their MP status on June 4 on the ground that there were finalized court rulings against them.

While all three were arrested on the same day, CHP's Berberoğlu has been released and sent home as part of coronavirus measures.

Put on trial with Can Dündar, the former Editor-in-Chief of daily Cumhuriyet, for giving him the footage of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) trucks allegedly carrying weapons to Syria, Enis Berberoğlu has been sentenced to 5 years, 10 months for "disclosing information that needs to be kept confidential for the security of the state or domestic or international interests for purposes of political and military espionage."

While Diyarbakır 2nd Heavy Penal Court has sentenced Musa Farisoğulları to 9 years in prison for "membership of an armed terrorist organization", Leyla Güven has also been sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison on the same charge and by the same court.

The prison sentences of Berberoğlu, Farisoğulları and Güven have been upheld by the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation.

(EKN/SD)