‘They try to stay in power with civilian coup mechanics’

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The Labor and Democracy Forces of İstanbul met in İstanbul's Kadıköy yesterday (March 18) and made a statement for the press regarding the closure case filed against the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's expulsion from the Parliament.

"A coup against the people's will has come out of the Human Rights Action Plan! We will defend the people's will against the civilian coup," said the joint statement read out by Hüseyin Özev, the Term Spokesperson for the Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK).

'Two very dangerous steps on March 17'

Referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Labor and Democracy Forces said:

"On March 17, 2021, the AKP government took two very dangerous steps for the sake of survival and power of the One-Man Regime.

"First, a crime was fabricated for HDP Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu over a tweet by the hand of the politicized judiciary, then, a sentence was given, the final court verdict was quickly sent to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, read out there and he was stripped of MP status.

"Those who start a war against the judiciary from the very top, saying, 'I don't respect the Constitutional Court, nor do I recognize its ruling' or 'The Council of State pulled the pin of the bomb with the ruling it gave', now say that 'the judicial process must be respected, which is aimed at hiding the fact that they gave the instructions themselves.

"Mr. Gergerlioğlu being stripped of MP status is not only an attack and disrespect for him, but also for the people's will. It means the Constitutional rights are abolished with such unlawful and illegitimate ways."

'They aim to intimidate all opposition groups'

The statement of the forces also referred to Gergerlioğlu's human rights advocacy and his recent statements about strip search in Turkey.

"Subjected to the attacks of the government after he brought the incidents of torture and inhumane practices, especially strip search, to the agenda, Mr. Gergerlioğlu has gained the respect of all segments of society with his determined and resolute human rights struggle that he waged without discriminating against anyone," underlined the groups.

After the final ruling against him was read out at the Plenary Session of the Parliament and he was stripped of his MP status, Gergerlioğlu and other HDP MPs refused to leave the assembly hall.

The statement of the labor and democracy forces underlined that "when some AKP MPs were trying to take Gergerlioğlu out of the hall, the second step was taken with the closure case against the HDP, the timing, content and aim of which was planned beforehand."

"Our country does not deserve yet another party added to the closed party cemetery," said the groups, underlining that "this step will deal a heavy blow to the resolution of the Kurdish question with democratic means as well as the grounds for living together in peace, just as it will serve to deepen the deadlock and ethnic division among people in society."

"However, the government is still relying on the anti-democratic swamp and trying to stay in power with civilian coup mechanics," they said. "With such coup practices, they are trying to cause a wave of fear, abolish the right to elect and to be elected and intimidate all opposition groups."

'Their only agenda is to stay in power'

Referring to the AKP and its ally in the People's Alliance, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of Devlet Bahçeli, the İstanbul Labor and Democracy Forces said, "The AKP-MHP alliance had only one agenda and aim: To stay in power. They plan all types of unthinkable ways and methods and put them into practice, if need be, for the sake of this."

Concluding their statement, the groups reiterated their determination to "defend democracy, basic rights and freedoms, law, living together and equality in the face of this attack against the people's will, the right to elect and to be elected, the will of living together and democracy."

They called on all groups who want a democratic, equal and free country to struggle together against this attempt and lay claim to rights and future. (EKN/SD)