The Istanbul Labour, Democracy, and Freedom Bloc held a statement at Iskele Square in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district.

The Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) co-spokespersons Meral Danış Beştaş and Ali Kenanoğlu, along with representatives from various political parties, organizations, institutions, and platforms, participated in the demonstration. During the demonstration, a banner reading "Repression will not intimidate us! Release those detained!" was unfurled. Protesters held placards with slogans such as "We will defeat fascism, we are here, and we will remain here," "The palace regime will fall," "Your bans, our struggle," and "Repression cannot stop us." The crowd chanted slogans including "Arrests, detentions, repression will not intimidate us," "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism," "The path to liberation is not alone either all of us or none of us," "Long live workers' unity and the brotherhood of peoples," and "We will win by uniting."

HDK co-spokesperson Meral Danış Beştaş said that the government is in its final stage before being overthrown. She noted that a confidentiality order had been placed on the case against HDK and emphasized that detentions were taking place across various segments of society.

Danış Beştaş criticized the recent operations targeting the HDK. She said: "The prosecutor said in their statement that this is an 'operation against HDK.' We are a platform with millions of members, including women, children, and people from all walks of life. They think they can eliminate the opposition. Today, anyone who defends their rights is targeted by the judiciary under this government. One day, they bring up Gezi, trying to revive a case from ten years ago. Whether you are a mayor, a party leader, a worker, or a union president, if you are not aligned with the government, you can become a target of these operations. They are recklessly pressing every button at once. Every day, we are confronted with new unlawful actions. They believe that by attacking us separately, they can weaken the opposition. But this operation is against the entire opposition. The arrest of Mehmet Özmen, the appointment of a trustee in Van (Wan), these are all part of a broader attack on the opposition. They are only concerned with their own survival. But we are united, and we will win."

The government must decide

Danış Beştaş continued her remarks, stating: "Meanwhile, society is watching for the ongoing talks regarding Imrali (with Öcalan). Some people are hopeful, yet they are not even allowed to have hope. Peace negotiations and this current situation cannot coexist, you need to make a decision. The entirety of Turkey is a stakeholder in social peace. Of course, social peace affects society as a whole. So, what are you trying to achieve by silencing the most dynamic segments of society? If the operation against HDK is indeed linked to our efforts for peace, then we expect a clear explanation.

We are fighting for the democratization of Turkey through initiatives like the '1 million signatures' campaign and conferences aimed at securing the rights and freedoms of every citizen. However, by targeting the opposition, you are deepening the concerns surrounding this process. For the first time, in the prosecutor’s referral document concerning the arrests related to urban consensus, the word 'Kurds' was explicitly mentioned. It was written that 'they won the municipality by uniting with the Kurds.' The prosecutor is openly engaging in racism. They are essentially saying, 'The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and The Republican People's Party (CHP) cannot unite,' and that 'Kurds do not have the right to vote.' Today's arrests are a continuation of previous ones. We see clearly that you are trying to divide the opposition. But we will resist until the end. You cannot turn journalists and artists into criminals. You are the guilty ones. We will win."

Our struggle will prevail 

Chairman of the Labour Party (EMEP), Seyit Aslan, stated that the government does not want democracy, peace, equality, or a dignified life for the working class. He said: "Instead of peace, the government continues its policies of war and deepening lawlessness with even greater intensity. In Antep, when workers demanded humane living conditions, the governor, textile factory owners, and AKP deputies joined forces to impose bans. However, the working class in Antep showed them that these bans would not hold. In Van, they ignored the will of the people by removing elected mayors who won with 55% of the vote. Last night’s operation targeted all segments of society, especially those advocating for peace. Erdoğan must know that as long as we are here, he will never be at ease in this country. Sooner or later, our struggle will prevail."

The demand for a dignified life is under attack 

The press statement was read aloud after the speeches. Hazan İlik, who read the statement, recalled that a trustee was appointed to Van, operations were carried out against HDK, and Mehmet Türkmen, the General President of the United Textile, Weaving, and Leather Workers' Union (BIRTEK-SEN), was arrested in Antep (Dilok). She stated: "For this reason, the struggle for equality, peace, freedom, and democracy of the Kurdish and Turkish peoples is one and the same. The seizure of the right to vote and be elected, the wave of detentions targeting citizens speaking in street interviews, journalists reporting the news, political party representatives, and trade union leaders. This is the government’s way of suppressing the growing public anger against worsening living conditions and deepening poverty under one-man rule. Just as they attempted in Başpınar, they are now doing this in Turkey. By using every tool of oppression without limits, they seek to enable unrestricted exploitation and silent, servile labor. Hiding behind fabricated terrorism charges, what they truly aim to destroy is the demand of workers and laborers for a dignified life."

We must unite against all these pressures and attacks

Ilik said: "We stand at a crossroads between two versions of Turkey. One is ruled by a reactionary and fascist regime that enforces strike bans, mass detentions, and fabricated operations while relentlessly implementing policies of repression and exploitation. The other is the Turkey of the working masses who defend their labor, sweat, democratic rights, and freedoms. The future of the country depends on our ability to unite today against these pressures and attacks. Turkey’s history is filled with periods of repression and aggression, but also with the struggles of oppressed and exploited communities who have come together to resist. Today, the only way to counter these attacks is through the democratic struggle of workers and laborers for a just and free Turkey."