The HDP's " march democracy against the coup" has also been launched in western Turkey after a number of obstacles. Originally, the city of Edirne in the country's outer west was chosen as the starting point. It is there that former HDP leader Selahattin Demirtaş has been held as a political hostage in prison for three and a half years. With the two starting points of Edirne and Hakkari for the five-day star march to Ankara, the HDP symbolically wanted to carry "Turkey to Kurdistan and Kurdistan to Turkey". Edirne had already been sealed off by Turkish security forces in advance, and the authorities have imposed a general ban on events in several provinces. The HDP headquarters in Edirne was surrounded by police units in the morning.

The HDP delegation, led by co-chair Pervin Buldan, then moved the starting point to Silivri near Istanbul. Even before their arrival, there was a police attack on a group having breakfast in a café. Six people were detained by force. Another group, including HDP MPs Dersim Dağ, Tuma Çelik and Serpil Kemalbay, were also stopped and attacked by police on their way to the meeting point.

The HDP delegation then drove to Edirne, where they were stopped by the police before reaching the prison where Demirtaş is held. HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan gave a speech here. The Kurdish politician condemned the actions of the security forces and said: "We are millions, you can't stop us."

Buldan said they are marching against the unlawful removal from parliament and imprisonment of elected representatives. She vowed that their march will continue until all intellectuals, academics, writers and journalists behind bars are released and until democracy, peace and justice is achieved in the country.

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