The Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK), the Union of Turkish Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and the Turkish Union of Physicians (TTB) had called for a rally in Ankara on Saturday (3 November).
Instead of call for constitutional change, call for peace
The rally had been organised to call for a "free, democratic and egalitarian constitution". However, the current discussion over constitutional change has been pushed to the background in the face of possible cross-border operations into Northern Iraq. The rally thus turned into an anti-war demonstration.
At least 40,000 people, many of whom had travelled to Ankara by bus, gathered at the Siihiye Square in Ankara, shouting slogans like "The bill [allowing operations] has been passed, let Baykal do his military service", "Murderer USA, collaborator AKP", "Silence the guns", "Don't cross the border, don't shoot your brother".
Parties of the left and DTP supported rally
The rally was also supported by parties of the left, the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), the Labour Party (EMEP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Turkish Communist Party (TKP), as well as the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), trade unions, professional associations, civil initiatives and NGOs. Four MPs from the DTP, Nurettin Demirtas, Selma Irmak, Ayla Akat Ata and Hamit Geylani, as well as ÖDP MP Ufuk Uras joined the demonstration.
Participants from all over Turkey
There were also many young people and women present at the rally.
Particularly KESK had been successful in bringing people to Ankara. Cities in the Kurdish-majority areas or with a high percentage of Kurdish refugees had responded well to the invitation. Engineers, teachers, workers, doctors and nurses from all corners of Turkey took part in a lively and ordered walk. At least 4,000 people from Istanbul had travelled to Ankara in 70 buses and two trains.
The organisers interpreted the high number of participants as a response to the worrying increase in nationalism, particularly in small cities.
Turkish and Kurdish slogans
Participants carried placards reading "Silence the guns, peace now", "We are walking for peace", "No bill, but a democratic solution", "Imperialism is the enemy, peoples are brothers", "In Sivas we are Alevi, with Hrant [Dink] we are Armenian, with Ape Musa we are Kurdish, in Iraq we are Arabs".
The slogan "Long live the brotherhood of peoples" was chanted in Turkish and in Kurdish and there were placards and balloons with "peace" written on them in Kurdish.
When small groups started shouting slogans in support of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, the organising committee asked everyone to stick to prearranged slogans. (EK/AG)
