EMEP: We will not go to the Parliament

Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block* deputies declared that they will not attend the parliamentary inauguration ceremony unless the government takes some concrete steps to reverse the Supreme Election Board’s (YSK) decision to strip Hatip Dicle of his deputyship.

Reading a statement from the group Serafettin Elci MP for Diyarbakir said that the group "will not go to parliament until the injustice against our people stop. The violence and operations against our people - said Elci - have continued incessantly. The last straw has been the Election Board decision to quash Hatip Dicle mandate. It is for these reasons that we have taken the decision not to go to Parliament until these injustices and violence would not stop".

Deputies said, “The YSK’s veto of our six candidates marked the beginning of this period, which has continued with waves of arrests and non-stop military operations. The barring of Hatip Dicle from Parliament is the last straw. As we have come to understand, this kind of operation is an integral part of the current political system. These injustices need to be halted as soon as possible. We are calling for people who define themselves as democratic to stand with us against these anti-democratic practices aimed at the Kurdish people.”

The DTK also called on the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), the European Union, the European Council and the United Nations, indeed the whole world’s people and its democratic organizations, to condemn this decision and put pressure on the Turkish government to rescind it.

UNLIMITED SIT-IN

Also, BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) Diyarbakir Provincial Organization announced that an unlimited sit-in act will be started today in Diyarbakir in front of BDP Yenisehir district building to protest the Supreme Election Board's (YSK) decision to strip off Hatip Dicle of his candidacy.

Demonstrations also staged in Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Malatya and Izmir. The actions have chosen as their slogan: "YSK, get your hand off my representative Hatip Dicle". The actions have been called to protest against the Supreme Election Board's (YSK) decision to strip off Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block's Diyarbakir Independent MP Hatip Dicle of his candidacy.

* Labour Party (EMEP), participated the elections with independent candidates under the flag of Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block. The political party of the Kurdish movement in Turkey (BDP) and EMEP were the main powers of this block. Also there were 16 parties and organisations in this Block. Block won 36 MP. Ex-president of EMEP, Abdullah Levent Tuzel elected as an MP from Istanbul as one of these MP’s.