Resistance in Van: Day 21

Local associations participated in the 21 day of resistance against the trustees in Van.

On 19 August the democratically and freely elected co-mayors of Van, Mardin and Amed metropolitan municipalities were dismissed by the AKP and replaced with trustees.

The people have been on the streets protesting the political coup for 21 days.

The people were not allowed to walk from Cumhuriyet Street in Van to the HDP İpekyolu district building.

HDP deputies Murat Sarısaç, Muazzez Orhan, Ayşe Sürücü, Murat Çepni, Dılşat Canbaz, Hasan Özgüneş, Platform of Eastern and Southeastern Associations, Democratic Islamic Congress (DIK), Istanbul Religious Scholars Association, Istanbul Amed Associations Federation, Batman Associations Federation, Bitlis The Federation of Associations, the Federation of Mus Associations, the Federation of Van Associations, municipal councilors and the people were blockaded by the police in front of the governor building.

HDP Istanbul deputy Dılşat Canbaz made a statement in front of the HDP district building which was blocked by hundreds of police officers after the discussions and said: “We have been resisting for 21 days. There is no justification for the trustees. We are protesting against usurpation."

Canbaz said that women, socialists, Alevis and workers will raise their voice wherever they are. “We will raise our voices with the common struggle. We won't leave any achievement we have won. We will grow our resistance until we get our hijacked municipalities back. Peoples will win. ”

Abdulhakim Daş, President of the Eastern and Southeastern Associations Platform, said: “The trustees have no legal basis. Trustees have no place in democracy. The will of the people should be respected and the people who were democratically elected should be respected. We appeal to all politicians: there are great problems in this region, and these problems boil down to the problem of democracy. Therefore, these problems should be solved in a democratic and peaceful environment. The three dismissed co-mayors should be reinstated, because they were elected by popular vote and will."

Dikrem Council member Ekrem Baran said: "Turkey's economy and life are not in good shape. We should be discussing about building peace in Turkey. Everyone should work for peace beginning with rejecting the usurpation of the muncipalities."