Police attack people protesting against proposed 'presidential system' in Turkey

Turkey’s controversial debates over the proposal of the ruling party AKP for making constitutional amendments that would bring about a presidential system in the country started with even deepened tension yesterday (January 9).

While opposition parties CHP and HDP have long been warning about the ‘actual intentions of the ruling party AKP’ with its proposal, civil society groups have also stepped in to express their objection to the proposed presidential system of AKP and MHP.

As representatives over 40 civil society organizations, consisting of human rights groups, bar associations, educational institutions, and more, wanted to read out their joint statement in front of the parliament building yesterday, police attacked them violently with teargas, water cannons, and plastic bullets.

Attended by hundreds of people and even some parliamentarians, the demonstration which was dispersed by police caused some people, including CHP MPs Necati Yılmaz, Orhan Sarıbal, Ali Şeker, and Şener Saruhan, to get wounded.

Journalist Fatih Ertürk also reported that police dogs were released on the parliamentarians giving support to the group of demonstrators.

Commenting on the incident, CHP Deputy Chair Veli Ağbaba, who was on site trying to stop the police, said: “We saw that they (the police) were about to intervene on the people. So, we (CHP parliamentarians) created a barrier with our bodies and said to the police ‘if you are going to intervene in, get us’. And, indeed, they did get us!”

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/tbmm-onunde-baskanliga-hayir-diyenlere-polis-saldirisi-142519.html