Police attacked the HDP group who gathered in the party headquarters in Amed (Diyarbakır) today to protest the revocation of the parliamentary membership on Thursday of HDP deputies Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları and CHP MP Enis Berberoğlu.

The party members were prevented from making a statement to the press in front of the party headquarters as police surrounded the area with armored vehicles.

After a continued obstruction by the police and resistance by the group, the HDP people, accompanied by executives and members of the DBP (Democratic Regions Party) and ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed), made the statement.

Reading the statement, HDP Amed provincial co-chair Hülya Alökmen Uyanık stressed that they will never bow to the coup and its plotters, saying; “This pro-coup mindset has maintained its existence on the Parliament of Turkey as a black mark for 26 years. Of the deputies who have insisted on democratic politics since DEP (Democracy Party) deputies were stripped of immunity and forcibly thrown out of the parliament in 1994, 27 had their parliamentary immunity removed. We will never recognise this rent-seeking, immoral and fascist coup mentality.”

Describing the coup as a response to the HDP’s roadmap to promote democracy which called for unity and joint struggle, Uyanık continued:

“As a party pursuing the tradition of democratic politics, we have come to these days thanks to the legitimate will of our people against uninterrupted and systematic attacks but not relying on immunity and membership in the parliament. Today, we have received the response of the Palace regime in its ongoing attack. Our answer is clear: we will continue our efforts to create a democratic future in Turkey. These attacks will only sharpen our determination and resolution for struggle. This aggressiveness will never intimidate us nor make us leave the democratic positions we have won. On this occasion, we once again call our party and all social circles to form a democratic union of forces against this aggressiveness and arrogance. A democratic future and a free Turkey is in our hands with all our diversities. As the opposition, it is our common duty to stop this aggression against our people and we call on everyone to claim this mission.”

Uyanık’s statement was concluded with the slogan “Berxwedan jîyane” (Resistance is life), after which police attacked the crowd. Brawl erupted between the party members and the police forces that tried to enter the building. Police then attacked the party building and waited outside for a long time to make sure that those inside do not leave the building.

On the other hand, the HDP organisations in the districts of Yenişehir, Sur, Kayapınar and Bağlar also protested for the deputies removed from the parliament.