Tülay Hatimoğulları: Usurpers have no place here and should be dismissed immediately

DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları said that the usurpers should be dismissed immediately and added: "This is a military coup. We will continue to protect our municipalities in the name of democracy, human rights and the future of the country."

The rally "Municipalities belong to the people, we will not allow usurpation" organised against the occupation of Hakkari Municipality on 3 June was attended by thousands of people.

Addressing the crowd, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları said the following: “We have been resisting since the day the Hakkari Municipality was seized. We are resisting the trustee. We are resisting the unlawful law in Ankara that says, 'Kurds cannot govern themselves, Kurds are not the main citizens of this country'. Ankara, do you hear the will of the people of Hakkari in this field and square? Do the MHP and those who want to make us a target hear the voice, applause and resistance of the people?  By appointing trustees, they are taking away our right to elect and be elected. Today, not only in Turkey but wherever you go in the world, elections are the minimum condition for democracy. By removing the right to elect and to be elected, and by appointing trustees to municipalities, they say to the Kurds that 'you cannot be elected, and even if you are, you cannot govern'. The mentality that inflicts all kinds of lies, deceit and conspiracy cases on the Kurds will see that the people are resisting. The people say 'no' to the trustee and protect their will. The people do not accept this political coup."

Expressing that they were constantly subjected to police attacks, Tülay Hatimoğulları continued: "But we did not give up, we did not step back. We always continued to resist on the streets. They say that this trustee issue has nothing to do with a coup. This is a political coup, and we will never accept it. While we were holding our press statement and sit-in protest in front of the Hakkari Governor's Office a few days ago, they deployed the gendarmerie in the yard of the Governor's Office. The gendarmerie landed on the streets of Hakkari! This is a military coup at the same time. We will continue to protect our municipalities wherever we win, in the name of democracy, in the name of human rights, in the name of the future of this country, in the name of the common life of all the peoples living in Turkey. We will protect our municipalities together with you, our valued people. We are among the people, we will always remain among the people. We will govern together with the people. All our co-mayors and municipal council members will continue to work day and night in the service of the people. This is how we will give the biggest answer to the trustee mentality."

Tülay Hatimoğulları said that the reason for the appointment of trustees was the Kurdish question, stating: "Unless our wound that has been bleeding for 40 years, the Kurdish question, which is one of the biggest obstacles to the democratisation of Turkey, is resolved through political dialogue on peaceful and democratic grounds, workers, women, youths, Kurds, Turks, Arabs, Laz, Circassians will not be free. That is why we will struggle for the resolution of the Kurdish question through peaceful and democratic methods. There is a bridge in Hakkari built in the name of Deniz Gezmiş. Those of us who grew up with Deniz Gezmiş's memories and history of struggle, repeat his words once again. Long live the brotherhood of the Turkish and Kurdish people, long live the brotherhood of peoples! This is the meaning of resisting against the trustee in Hakkari. This is the meaning of defending the brotherhood of the peoples that we have once again seen together on this stage after Deniz Gezmiş and his companions. We know that the attitude of the opposition in Turkey towards the trustees is very valuable. Here, from Hakkari, on behalf of all the people of Hakkari, on behalf of all the oppressed and exploited, we offer our endless thanks to those who resist against the trustee."

Tülay Hatimoğulları said that the appointed trustee should be dismissed immediately and emphasised the following: "Viyan Tekçe, elected by our Municipal Council, is our co-mayor with our votes. We are demanding in Hakkari, in Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Mersin, Mersin, Ankara, all over Turkey, that the trustee be removed. The municipality administration in Hakkari should be relieved of the hands of the trustee and handed over to its rightful owners.Those putschists, those usurpers of will have no place there. Are we going to continue our struggle all over Turkey and Kurdistan together until we frustrate the trustee policy? This is how our enthusiasm and resilience will continue. Let all of Turkey know this, let Ankara know this, let the Palace know this, let the government's partner and mentors know this; we will win by resisting. Long live our resistance. We will win by uniting in solidarity. We will win by resisting."

After the rally, thousands of people marched to the city centre chanting slogans.