HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan on Tuesday visited Gazi Cemevi (Alevi place of worship) which was attacked by the police during the mourning for Grup Yorum member Ibrahim Gökçek, who died two days after calling off his death fast. 

The statement made on behalf of Gazi Cemevi thanked the HDP for bringing the issue to the Assembly. Different faith representatives who came to visit also condemned the attack and the government allowing it.

Buldan was accompanied by HDK co-spokesperson Idil Uğurlu, HDP Istanbul Provincial executives, HDP council member Turgut Öker, HDP deputies Garo Paylan, Hüda Kaya, Musa Piroğlu and Zeynel Özen.

"What happened to the remains of Ibrahim is an indication of the level of persecution,” said Buldan, adding that the sacred places of the Alevis were treated without respect. 

Buldan reminded that the AKP-MHP government turned the attacks on beliefs and funerals into something common, and reminded the persecution Aysel Tuğluk had to suffer after her mother passed away.

Buldan pointed out the attacks on graveyards and added: "Today Kurdish graveyards and graves are destroyed and is like a second death for the Kurds. In the same way, what was done to Ibrahim’s remains and the people mourning him was a second death, an attempt to renew their pain."

Buldan continued: "The gravestones of the Kurds are broken, the Alevis worship places are raided by police, and the churches of the Armenians are treated with disrespected. We won’t remain silent about all this."

The HDP co-chair said that the "Presidency of Religious Affair is silent about these attacks. We demand it to apologize to the Alevi community."