The detention of 15 BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) members following the raids on many houses in Maltepe, Ýstanbul on 4-5-6- January was protested against by representatives of political parties and civil society organizations in Maltepe.

The representatives got together in Baþçeþmeler Square and opened banners “Pressures can’t deter us” and marched accompanied with slogans.

Speaking at the press statement at Central Square, BDP provincial chair Cengiz Akbaba remarked that the AKP (Justice and Development Party) government and the state carry on detentions as they can’t digest the determined attitude of Kurdish politics. Akbaba expressed that Kurdish youngsters and politicians are intentionally put in prisons, saying that the pressures will never achieve to deter the struggle of Kurdish people. Akbaba underlined that the solution offers of Kurdish politicians are responded by the state with detentions and arrests, adding; “The government must give up this attitude for the establishment of peace”.

Translation: Berna Ozgencil