Democratic Society Congress (DTK) issued a written statement on the recent closures of non-governmental organizations. In its statement, DTK said that the AKP government and Erdoğan have carried out a coup of their own and are attacking all democratic opposition organizations, media organs, intellectuals and universities. DTK emphasized that the AKP government first targeted opposition media organizations and then arrested journalists, workers, parliamentarians and co-mayors.

DTK said that in the latest phase of their attacks, Erdoğan and the AKP government closed down nearly 400 non-governmental organizations overnight, and described these NGOs as the necessary elements of democratic societies that shape the vision and perspective of society. DTK said “A society without NGOs cannot have expectations from the future, and the attacks prove that Turkey is in a process of coups and is headed for an authoritarian dictatorship.”

DTK warned that those that are silent in the face of attacks would soon themselves be attacked by the state, and democratic gains are at great risk if these fascist policies are not met with resistance. Lastly, DTK called upon all democratic individuals and institutions to protest and resist the recent closures of NGOs, and condemned the AKP government’s fascist policies that threaten the union, fraternity, future and democracy of the peoples.