The Union of Democratic Forces in Europe (ADGB) and the Platform of Kurdistan Institutions in Europe are calling for protests on Saturday against the actions of the Turkish state after the earthquake disaster.

The appeal released on Tuesday includes the following:

"In two major earthquakes in Kurdistan, Syria and Turkey on 6 February, we lost tens of thousands of people and more were injured. Most of the survivors were left on the streets in the freezing cold of winter. Thousands of people have still not been rescued from the rubble. Aftershocks are still going on.

The Turkish state mind has done exactly what was expected of it. The reason for the delay in intervention is the fact that Kurdish and Arab people of different faiths as well as Alevis live in the earthquake area. The fascist state wants to change the demographic structure of the region by using the earthquake as an opportunity to pursue its policy of de-Kurdifying the region and thinning out the Arab, Alevi and Christian population of Hatay. For this reason, those buried under the rubble were not recovered for three days, and search and rescue teams from different countries around the world had to wait for hours at airports, delaying their deployment.

The earthquake shook the region, but the Turkish state massacred the people by deliberately delaying intervention. Similarly, Turkey and the central Syrian government kept the borders closed to prevent aid from reaching the destroyed towns in Rojava, resulting in further loss of life there. At the same time, Turkish planes bombed towns shaken by the earthquake, adding to the destruction and loss of life.

The Turkish state is trying to stop volunteers from many provinces of Turkey and Europe who want to heal people's wounds and share their pain, and to confiscate aid supplies. It attacks and confiscates the crisis centres that have been set up to carry out search and rescue operations on the ground and to show solidarity with the people. Thus, as in the case of Maraş, a trustee was appointed by the district governor’s office for the centre set up by the HDP in the Alevi community centre in Hasankoca for the collection and distribution of relief goods.

In European countries, central or local marches and rallies will be organised on Saturday 25 February. The condition is that more attention is paid to uniting the work done everywhere. In cities where actions cannot be organised on 25 February due to condolences, activities will take place on 4 March.

Nationwide demonstrations will take place in England, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Australia and Cyprus. In France, actions will be organised in Marseille, Paris, and Strasbourg, and in Germany in Hamburg, Hanover, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. The demonstrations will take place as black marches and we call for participation.

This day is the day when we can turn our hatred into consciousness and our anger into organised power."