Lawyers Association: The government attacks Kurds when in crisis

Lawyers from ÖHD (Freedom Lawyers Association) said: "The state thinks that it can attack the Kurds every time it is in trouble and thus ensure its own survival and integrity."

Dozens were detained in 4 cities on Friday as part of the investigation against the Democratic Society Congress (DTK). During house raids in Amed, Istanbul, Izmir and Adıyaman, 72 people including 24 lawyers. On Friday evening 21 lawyers were released after they gave statements in the police station. Other people are still in custody. Reactions to the detentions continue.

Lawyers Nagehan Avçil and Veysi Eski, members of the Freedom Lawyers Association (ÖHD), said that the government turns towards Kurdish intellectuals and politicians every time it is in trouble.

Avçil reminded that their associations were closed by Decree Law four years ago and said: "Then they thought they could silence the Kurdish politicians and lawyers. But our struggle has increased as well as the fight against fascism. It has been clear that we will not submit to fascism in any way. We will not give up solidarity with revolutionary lawyers nor will the opposition lawyers of this country give up solidarity with the ÖHD. By fighting together against fascism, we will definitely win."

Lawyer Veysi Eski, on the other hand, described the operation as "the government's efforts to overcome its internal problems by attacking Kurds". Stating that they were faced with an attack against the Kurds, as in the past conflicts between FETO and AKP, Eski said: “Every time the state is in trouble, it thinks that it can ensure its own survival and integrity by attacking Kurds. But the government is wrong. In a country where Kurds do not enjoy their rights, a democratic ground cannot be created. The struggle of the Kurdish people and Kurdish lawyers will surely be successful."

Stressing that lawyers represent the defense, Eski said that lawyers whose names are found in some digital materials seized in connection to the DTK investigation cannot be detained.

Eski underlined that peace is essential for the solution of problems in Turkey. "The first condition to have peace in this country is to solve the Kurdish question. Human rights can only be achieved if we solve the Kurdish question.”