‘End to the coups, end to the dictatorship’
Calling out for the continuation of the struggle for equality, freedom, and secularism, HAZİRAN (June) movement announced it will join ‘the Republic and Democracy Meeting’ in Taksim today and said they want an ‘end to the coups and the dictatorship’. Along with several other groups, institutions, and NGOs, Eğitim-Sen (Education and Science Workers’ Union) will also take part in today’s meeting.
‘The Republic and Democracy Meeting’, which has been initiated by CHP with an open invitation to everyone without an exception, will be held in Taksim today at 18:00. Several groups, institutions, and NGOs will gather at the meeting to send out a message asking for an end to coups and establishment of a true democracy, secularism, equality, and freedom.
‘The aim of the current government is to give OHAL permanence’
One of the participants of the meeting is HAZİRAN movement, which has been formed after the Gezi protests of 2013 with the aim of creating a joint platform for all those who demand equality, pluralism, freedom, and the end of the dictatorship. Announcing its decision to join today’s meeting, HAZİRAN released a statement: “Turkey has witnessed a coup attempt on the bloody night of July 15th. After this attempt had been stalled, AKP has started launching its own counter-coup. And, OHAL (state of emergency) stands as the new stage of this ongoing civil-coup.”
‘We will not allow calls for Sharia in our streets’
Emphasizing that they will not remain silent in the face of the current situation, HAZİRAN included also the following remarks in its statement: “We will not leave our streets to the calls for Sharia and Caliphate. We will raise the voice of equality, freedom, secularism, and real democracy. We will not give in to the institutionalization efforts of establishment of a bigot base by the hands of AKP under the scope of counter-coup operations. With these goals, HAZİRAN will be in Taksim on Sunday, July 24th, to raise the voice for equality, freedoms, and secularism; to say ‘stop’ to the dictatorship; and, to not leave the streets to AKP. We are marching out to the Taksim Square to shout out that we are not going to leave these streets neither to coups nor to bigotry. We call on our people to walk side by side. On Sunday, July 24th, we will be meeting in Şişli at 16:30”
Eğitim-Sen is also joining the meeting
Eğitim-Sen Chair Kamuran Karaca stated the Union will also be joining today’s ‘The Republic and Democracy’ meeting. Expressing their emphasis on labor rights, peace, democracy, and secularism, Karaca added, “In İstanbul, we will be joining this meeting with our Union’s various branches, who are actively struggling as members of the workforce and democracy advocates. We value this significant meeting and will be attending to send out our message on labor rights, peace, democracy and secularism. We also call on to our members and executives to join.”
‘Around 1 million participants are expected’
Commenting on the meeting that is arranged to take place today, CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Cemal Canpolat said, “We invite everyone who demand a real institutionalization of democracy; oppose centralization of authority under one person or one party; and defend the view that democracy must be pluralistic. We are anticipating participation of around 1 million people in Taksim today. We will defend the values of the Republic there. During the processes we have been going through, the significance of Mustafa Kemal’s views has again been revealed. We are calling out for his views to be enhanced and for the Parliamentarian system to be strengthened. We invite all of our people to Taksim.”
AKP has not announced its place in the meeting
Attending groups will march on to Taksim from three separate routes, which they have identified priorly. Marches will start off at 16:00 and the program at Taksim Square is scheduled to begin at 18:00.
On the other hand, although AKP has expressed, in rhetoric, its decision to join today’s meeting, it still has not made any announcement about from where exactly they would be joining the march. Hak-İş (Confederation of Turkish Real-Estate Unions), which is known with its closeness to AKP, has not released an announcement, either.
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/darbeye-diktaya-nokta-121264.html