A 6-day 'Respect for the Will March' from Van to Hakkari was launched today in protest at the appointment of a trustee on 3 June to Hakkari Municipality won by the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in the 31 March local elections.

The arrival of masses from Turkey and Kurdistan cities in Van city center was followed by a press statement in Musa Anter Park with the participation of DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, MPs, co-mayors of municipalities and representatives of non-governmental organisations and local people.

Bakırhan said that nowhere in the world has a march been organised with the demand of "respect for the will". Remarking that the organisation of a march with this demand was a shame for the country, Bakırhan said, "Ballot boxes were set up all over Turkey, people chose their will to govern them, but their will was not recognized. The march for respect for the people’s will is a shame for this country. People elect their rulers, who, however, are ruled out one by one with various excuses. It is a pity for the people living in Turkey, a great shame. Either you will not put the ballot box or when the ballot box is set up you will say 'Kurds cannot vote'. You will mark the houses of Kurds and put a red cross on them. But if you put the ballot box, you will respect it. If you don't respect it, the people who elected those rulers will protect their will."

Bakırhan said, "If you see Kurds as citizens of this country, you all have to respect their declaration of will. You usurped their will for two terms and appointed trustees in the place of their elected representatives. The best example is Van. The municipalities are trapped in debt and no services are provided. There is migration and unemployment. There is no infrastructure, no water. The facilities of the municipality have been made a present to some people. You have destroyed and usurped everything related to the Kurdish language, culture, language, belief and life and you shamelessly say 'we don't accept it'. We will make you accept it.”

Bakırhan emphasised that the appointment of a trustee in Hakkari should be reversed and said, "Give up this unlawful approach. Release Mehmet Sıddık Akış. If you are confident in yourselves, appear before us with your candidates in the next election, come with your governors, bureaucrats and trustees and do your propaganda. Let us respect whoever people choose. Otherwise, this country loses. Can such a thing happen? This is Turkey's shame. This shame must be abandoned. I call on those who govern this country to give up this shame."

Stressing that they will continue their struggle, Bakırhan said, "Turkey is going through a serious economic crisis, poverty is rampant, people cannot make a living, there is no freedom and democracy, but we are dealing with the trustees. If you care so much about the people of Hakkari and Van, open the borders and let people trade. Open the borders so that people from outside the country can come to Van and Hakkari. Open the plateaus you have banned, let people do agriculture and animal husbandry. Distribute Turkey's national income in a fair and equal way to the Kurdish provinces, then come and compete so that people can say that this government is acting fairly. Then you might have a chance. But with rejection, denial and oppression, you will never have a chance anywhere in Kurdistan."

After the statement, the march, which will continue for 6 days, started. Thousands of people marched with the slogans "No passage for the trustee" and "Colemêrg ya me ye" [Hakkari is ours].

The participants will walk approximately 20 kilometres today and reach the district of Gürpınar today.