50 thousands say "Freedom Now"
50 thousands say "Freedom Now"
Fifty thousand people joined the election rally organized in Diyarbakýrby the Labor, Democracy and Freedom (Emek, Demokrasi ve Özgürlük)Block.
Fifty thousand people filled Diyarbakir station square chanting slogans in favour of peace and a democratic solution to the Kurdish Question.
Passionate speeches were delivered by Diyarbakýr former MP and candidate Leyla Zana and by candidates Altan Tan, Þerafettin Elçi, Nursel Aydoðan and Emine Ayna.
Strong and passionate Leyla Zana asked the chanting crowd: "They ask me why Kurds always chant slogan say 'Bijî serok Apo' [Up president Apo]" referring to Kurdish imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan. "Well - she added - because nobody has been able to organize this people in the same way he did. He managed to unite the Kurdish people under the same umbrella. That's why Kurds are so tie to him".
Þerafettin Elçi added that "today is the day of honour. We stood together, we stand together, and by standing together we will win".
As well as the independent candidates the mayor of Diyarbakýr, Osman Baydemir, the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) city presient, M. Ali Aydýn were at the rally.
Independent candidate (and former DTP, Democratic Society Party co-chair) Emine Ayna, underlined that "May in Kurdish is Gulan, that is the month of the roses. Our roses are our martyrs", she said referring to the people who lost their life because of the war. And then she directly addressed the Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdoðan. "The Prime Minister - she began promptly adding - no, I will not refer to him as Prime Minister because he is not acting as a Prime Minister towards us. So I simply say, Recep Tayip Erdoðan says that 'there were Kurds but we solved this issue'. And now he said there are no Kurds. And people should simply take his word as evidence of this." The reality is, added Ayna that the ruling party's police is killing the Kurds who reclaim their rights and language".
Leyla Zana started her speech by saying that "for 30 years they are bombing this wonderful nature with chemical weapons. Nature is suffering", and in a highly symbolic gesture Zana removed the hair band of daisies from her head and throw it to the crowd saying "I throw this flowers to you so that nature once again could flourish".
It was then the turn of Altan Tan to take the microphone. "These are days when patience are wearing out - he said - They keep telling us to wait and be patient. I am asking you, after thousands of our children who lost their lives, thousands of our brothers and sisters in prison, thousands of our families in exile... can we have any patience left?" The crowd answered "No".
At the end of the meeting a message from Hatip Dicle, independent candidate in prison at the moment because one of the defendant in the KCK (Kurdish Communities Confederation) trial was read.
Fifty thousand people filled Diyarbakir station square chanting slogans in favour of peace and a democratic solution to the Kurdish Question.
Passionate speeches were delivered by Diyarbakýr former MP and candidate Leyla Zana and by candidates Altan Tan, Þerafettin Elçi, Nursel Aydoðan and Emine Ayna.
Strong and passionate Leyla Zana asked the chanting crowd: "They ask me why Kurds always chant slogan say 'Bijî serok Apo' [Up president Apo]" referring to Kurdish imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan. "Well - she added - because nobody has been able to organize this people in the same way he did. He managed to unite the Kurdish people under the same umbrella. That's why Kurds are so tie to him".
Þerafettin Elçi added that "today is the day of honour. We stood together, we stand together, and by standing together we will win".
As well as the independent candidates the mayor of Diyarbakýr, Osman Baydemir, the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) city presient, M. Ali Aydýn were at the rally.
Independent candidate (and former DTP, Democratic Society Party co-chair) Emine Ayna, underlined that "May in Kurdish is Gulan, that is the month of the roses. Our roses are our martyrs", she said referring to the people who lost their life because of the war. And then she directly addressed the Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdoðan. "The Prime Minister - she began promptly adding - no, I will not refer to him as Prime Minister because he is not acting as a Prime Minister towards us. So I simply say, Recep Tayip Erdoðan says that 'there were Kurds but we solved this issue'. And now he said there are no Kurds. And people should simply take his word as evidence of this." The reality is, added Ayna that the ruling party's police is killing the Kurds who reclaim their rights and language".
Leyla Zana started her speech by saying that "for 30 years they are bombing this wonderful nature with chemical weapons. Nature is suffering", and in a highly symbolic gesture Zana removed the hair band of daisies from her head and throw it to the crowd saying "I throw this flowers to you so that nature once again could flourish".
It was then the turn of Altan Tan to take the microphone. "These are days when patience are wearing out - he said - They keep telling us to wait and be patient. I am asking you, after thousands of our children who lost their lives, thousands of our brothers and sisters in prison, thousands of our families in exile... can we have any patience left?" The crowd answered "No".
At the end of the meeting a message from Hatip Dicle, independent candidate in prison at the moment because one of the defendant in the KCK (Kurdish Communities Confederation) trial was read.
