Activists and families of jailed children to step up protest if Anti-Terrorism Law not changed
Activists and families of jailed children to step up protest if Anti-Terrorism Law not changed
The government has promised to change the Anti-Terrorism Law (TMK) especially on the articles concerning children. While waiting for the promise to be kept, Public Employee Workers Confederation (KESK) has collected 3000 signatures, while Justice for Children organized a series of initiatives. The sit-in organized by families of imprisoned children in front of Diyarbakir Prison is still on. In addition BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) and its co-chairs supported activists and families as well as keep putting pressure on Turkey Grand National Assembly (TBMM) to change the TMK in the parts related to children.
The Platform of KESK Mardin Branches has collected 3000 signatures under a petition which demands amendment of TMK. Signatures were collected in Kiziltepe district of Mardin. The signed petitions will be sent to the TBMM to draw attention on the urgency of the amendment.
“Children need to be in their house with their families and at school and not in prisons” said Aslan Oner, the Kiziltepe representative of Teachers Trade Union, at a press conference held yesterday for imprisoned children.
BDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaþ and Gultan Kisanak accompanied by many members of the party have visited families who are holding a sit-in in front of Diyarbakir Prison to ask for their children to be released. The unlimited sit-in will today enters its 9th day and the families clearly stated their determination. They will stage the sit-in in front of the prison as long as it takes to get their children released.
Demirtas who addressed the demonstrators has asked members of parliament not to take the traditional summer break until they have managed to solve the problem.
Deputy Chair of BDP group in TBMM, Bengi Yildiz, stated that he had a meeting with Bekir Bozdag, Deputy Chair of AKP (Justice and Development Party) group in TBMM but said that as far as he understood AKP is trying ‘to make a fait accompli’ instead of making the necessary changes of TMK in favor of the imprisoned children.
On the other hand, Bekir Bozdag has also met with the Callers for Justice, a human rights organization specifically founded to work for imprisoned children, regarding the amendment of TMK.
Many are the stories being told these days by the families of imprisoned children in the sit-in. Halit Sevim is the father of two imprisoned children, while Ayten and Alaattin Gölcü are the parents of a boy arrested two years ago. Since then they are fighting for their son to have justice.
Justice for Children has declared in recent days that unless the Parliament set an agenda for solving the problem before the summer holidays which are due to start next week, they are going to take harder measures.
The group said it will directly apply to international organizations and file a complain about the Turkish Parliament and certain governmental institutions. It also said that a hunger strike in Taksim Square in Istanbul is also an option in the organization's agenda.
The group warned the Government that, if needed, they will also start a simultaneous march from 32 cities to Ankara, the capital of Turkey.
The Platform of KESK Mardin Branches has collected 3000 signatures under a petition which demands amendment of TMK. Signatures were collected in Kiziltepe district of Mardin. The signed petitions will be sent to the TBMM to draw attention on the urgency of the amendment.
“Children need to be in their house with their families and at school and not in prisons” said Aslan Oner, the Kiziltepe representative of Teachers Trade Union, at a press conference held yesterday for imprisoned children.
BDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaþ and Gultan Kisanak accompanied by many members of the party have visited families who are holding a sit-in in front of Diyarbakir Prison to ask for their children to be released. The unlimited sit-in will today enters its 9th day and the families clearly stated their determination. They will stage the sit-in in front of the prison as long as it takes to get their children released.
Demirtas who addressed the demonstrators has asked members of parliament not to take the traditional summer break until they have managed to solve the problem.
Deputy Chair of BDP group in TBMM, Bengi Yildiz, stated that he had a meeting with Bekir Bozdag, Deputy Chair of AKP (Justice and Development Party) group in TBMM but said that as far as he understood AKP is trying ‘to make a fait accompli’ instead of making the necessary changes of TMK in favor of the imprisoned children.
On the other hand, Bekir Bozdag has also met with the Callers for Justice, a human rights organization specifically founded to work for imprisoned children, regarding the amendment of TMK.
Many are the stories being told these days by the families of imprisoned children in the sit-in. Halit Sevim is the father of two imprisoned children, while Ayten and Alaattin Gölcü are the parents of a boy arrested two years ago. Since then they are fighting for their son to have justice.
Justice for Children has declared in recent days that unless the Parliament set an agenda for solving the problem before the summer holidays which are due to start next week, they are going to take harder measures.
The group said it will directly apply to international organizations and file a complain about the Turkish Parliament and certain governmental institutions. It also said that a hunger strike in Taksim Square in Istanbul is also an option in the organization's agenda.
The group warned the Government that, if needed, they will also start a simultaneous march from 32 cities to Ankara, the capital of Turkey.
