On the occasion of Working Journalists’ Day celebrated in Turkey on 10 January, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan visited the Ankara offices of Mesopotamia Agency (MA), JINNEWS and Yeni Yaşam Newspaper.

Bakırhan spoke against the detention of the democratically elected co-mayors of Mersin’s Akdeniz District Municipality, which was won by the DEM Party in the 31 March local elections in 2024.

“We have repeatedly explained and proved many times that this is not the way. It does not offer a solution to the existing problems. Plotting against the will of the people and usurping it by conspiracy and lies is not the way. It is great disrespect to the will of the people. We call on the government to abandon the trustee politics.”

Calling on the government to be sincere and serious, Bakırhan said, “On the one hand, debates on a possible negotiation process are ongoing. On the other hand, operations are being carried out against municipalities. These practices will not make us give up. You have tried many times but achieved no results. You have appointed trustees several times before, but the people have re-elected administrators to represent their will in a stronger way.”

DEM Party co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları will go to Mersin, Bakırhan said, adding that they will follow the process closely.

Bakırhan also commented on the meeting of the DEM Party delegation with Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı on 28 December and the ongoing debates, adding, “If these debates are to evolve into a process, first the conditions must be provided for Mr Öcalan to play his role and the gates of İmralı must be unlocked. We do not know what will come out of these talks and which direction they will take. Our delegation informed us that there is no agenda such as a general amnesty.”