'No' rally in Amed: We'll bury AKP into the ballot box

Thousands joined the final 'No' rally organised by the HDP before tomorrow's referendum through which Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan seeks to formalize his one-man rule.

“We will resist to victory” chanted thousands who joined the final rally organised by Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) at the Istasyon Square in the main Kurdish city Amed as part of the 'No' campaign before 16 April's referendum.

 

Speaking at the rally, HDP Istanbul MP Pervin Buldan said that in tomorrow's historic referendum the Kurdish people and Turkey society will vote for their future and freedom in the current process of persecution, violence and pressure amid imprisonment of Kurds, their elected representatives and appointment of trustees in their place.

"AKP has perpetrated all kinds of atrocity against the Kurdish people over the past one year. Tomorrow, we will give a good message to Ankara. We will bury them in the ballots and say 'No' to their persecution. We express very clearly why we say 'No' but neither the AKP nor MHP can say a single sentence as to why they say 'Yes'.

On the other hand, they state that they will reinstate death penalty. This is the only path of their politics as they have nothing to present to these lands other than death, bloodshed and tears. The only thing the AKP-MHP coalition will bring to this country is death penalty."

Buldan called on the people to listen to their conscience while casting their vote and to remember jailed HDP co-chairs, deputies, mayors and what happened in Sur, Silvan, Cizre, Gever and Xerabê Bava. No honorable Kurd will vote 'Yes', she added.

Buldan underlined that their struggle will continue until Abdullah Öcalan, deputies and co-mayors are free, and saluted the prisoners on hunger strike against the policies of the state. She warned that the Minister of Justice will be responsible for any death to occur in prisons, and called for dialogue for a solution, peace and democracy.

 

Speaking after, HDP Spokesperson Osman Baydemir put emphasis on the importance of freedom and unity against persecution, atrocity and violence. He also called on the people to remember Sur, Cizre, Nusaybin, Tahir Elçi, Mother Taybet, baby Miray and those burned alive in basements in Cizre while going to ballots tomorrow, describing the voting as a 'trial'.

Following the rally, youths staged a march to the central Ofis district and saluted the participants of the massive hunger strike in jails, chanting “Bijî berxwedana zindanan” [Long Live Prison Resistance] and the Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, chanting “Bijî Serok Apo” [Long Live Leader Apo].