Turkish police carried out house raids in Van province early this morning and detained at least 15 people. Those detained include Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Provincial co-chairs Veysi Dilekçi and Gülşen Kurt, Hanım Kaya, co-chair of MEBYA-DER (Association for Assistance and Solidarity with Families in the Cradle of Mesopotamia), TJA (Free Women's Movement) activist Aynur Sarıca, DEM Party Edremit District Co-Chair Cemil Baydar, Peace Mothers Sarya Süer and Hazal Süer.

Members of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in Van protested the detention of politicians. Party members gathered in front of the DEM Party Provincial Organisation and vowed that they will not step back from their democratic political struggle.

DEM Party Van Provincial Executive İlhan Güney stated that fascism is rampant in the country and the AKP-MHP government criminalises political struggles.

Güney said that the government increased its attacks on the people while falling from power, adding: ‘There are economic, political, diplomatic, legal and bureaucratic crises in the country every day. The government is attacking the language, institutions and parties of the Kurdish people. Attacking the democratic struggle of the Kurds has harmed this country. We call on everyone who loves this country and defends coexistence to raise their voices against the coup-like practices of the government."

Emphasising that they will not give up their democratic struggle against isolation, oppression, detentions and arrests, Güney stated that the Kurdish people are under an all-out attack.

Güney continued: “These unlawful attacks are an indication of how just our struggle is. No power can stop this struggle, which has been woven with the labour of Mehmet Sincar, Vedat Aydın, Pakize Nayır, Seve Demir, Fatma Uyar and their likes. We show this history and the current developments to those who ask ‘What do the Kurds want? Our people, who are attacked because they dance, wage a democratic political struggle and speak Kurdish, have waged and will wage their legitimate and democratic struggle.”

Condemning the detentions and raids in political operations, Güney said: “We are here with our people, our parties, our institutions and all our elected ones. We did not and will not take a step back from our democratic political struggle. Those who set their eyes on the gains of our people will be left empty-handed. We invite all democratic mass organisations, bar associations, human rights organisations, trade unions and non-governmental organisations that stand for law and democracy to speak out against this fascist wave directed against the language, party and all values of our people. We have existed, we exist, we will exist.”