Swiss parties and people rally for 'NO' against Erdoğan's regime

Thousands led by Swiss political parties and organizations came together and gave the message “Unite under 'NO' against the monist Erdoğan regime.”

Led by the second biggest political party in Switzerland the Socialist Party (SP), Greens, Solidarité, Medico International Schweiz, Solifonds, DEM-KURD and the Kurdish Women's Movement in Switzerland, thousands of people held a rally in Bern, Switzerland to protest the AKP/MHP fascism yesterday.

Thousands of people from Switzerland, Kurdistan and Turkey took to the streets in the city of Bern and protested Erdoğan's anti-democratic policies. Protestors demanded that the Turkish state return to the peace table with the Kurds and respect international laws.

Socialist party federal parliamentarian Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, Swiss Confederation of Unionts President Paul Rechsteiner, HDP Amed parliamentarian Feleknas Uca, Solitarité representative Manuela Honegger Heller and Green Party federal parliamentarian Sibel Arslan addressed the protesters at the rally held in front of the Swiss Federal Parliament building in Bern.

Protestors carried posters of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan as well as PKK, KCK, YPG and YPJ flags, and chanted slogans such as “Murderer Erdoğan” and “Long Live International Solidarity.” The banner unfurled by Swiss anarchist groups, which had a photo of Erdoğan and the writing “Murderer Erdoğan” on it received great interest.

Protestors highlighted their demands such as the construction of a democratic system in Turkey, release of political prisoners, building of peace in Kurdistan and protection of women's rights during the rally held with the motto “We must take action in order to stop the authoritarian, racist, fascist and sexist Erdoğan regime that grows more and more every day.”

UCA: EUROPE MUST TAKE A CLEAR STANCE AGAINST ERDOĞAN

HDP Amed parliamentarian Feleknas Uca gave the opening remarks and began her speech by relaying the developments in Turkey and emphasizing the importance of the rally Swiss organizations held against Erdoğan.

Uca remarked that justice and law were completely eliminated in Turkey as Erdoğan is leading the country to a one-man's rule. HDP MP stated that Europe must take a clear stance against Erdoğan, and emphasized that Kurdish people did not kneel before oppression and remained standing against Erdoğan as the leading opposition group.

“MILLIONS POINTED AT İMRALI DURING NEWROZ”

Uca pointed out that the Kurdish people made their stance clear despite all pressures during the 2017 Newroz, and continued: “Millions of people that took to the streets at Newroz pointed at İmralı for both the state and us. Millions also manifested that they will not allow Erdoğan to reach his goal in the April 16 referendum.”

Uca ended her speech by calling for the enhancement of international solidarity against fascism.

SOLITARITE: SOLIDARITY WITH THE KURDISH PEOPLE MUST BE ENHANCED

Solitarité representative Manuela Honegger Heller addressed the protestors after Uca and said that Switzerland must take a clear stance against Erdoğan. Heller said “We must enhance our solidarity with the Kurdish people against Erdoğan's dictatorship,” and called upon the peoples of Turkey to say NO at the April 16 referendum.

SWISS CONFEDERATION OF UNIONS: DEVELOPMENTS IN TURKEY ARE UNACCEPTABLE

Swiss Unions Confederation President Paul Rechsteiner spoke after Heller and touched upon the human rights violations experienced in Turkey. Rechsteiner described the attacks on the press, freedom of expression and all other basic human rights as unacceptable, and called upon everyone to take more responsibility in the struggle to stop the monist Erdoğan regime.

SOCIALIST PARTY MP: ERDOĞAN MUST BE STOPPED

Speaking after, Socialist Party MP Laurence Fehlmann Rielle drew attention to the dimension of human rights violations and the urgency of the situation in Turkey. Rielle stressed that Erdoğan becomes more authoritarian every day, and described the illegal treatment towards the Kurdish people and their municipalities as unacceptable.

Laurence underlined that the Socialist Party would always support the Kurdish people who are defenders of democracy in Turkey, and demanded that Switzerland make its stance towards the Erdoğan regime clear. Laurence said Switzerland should play its role in order for the Council of Europe and the UN to take action against Erdoğan, and called for an international investigation on the destruction of cities and towns across North Kurdistan.

GREENS MP: SOLIDARITY MUST BE ENHANCED

Lastly, Kurdish Women's Movement in Switzerland representative Özen Aytaç and the Greens Party MP Sibel Arslan addressed the protestors and emphasized the need to enhance the international solidarity against Erdoğan as they called upon the peoples of Turkey to unite under 'NO' against the monist regime of Erdoğan on April 16.

Below are the organizations that participated in the rally against the Erdoğan regime:

ALBA Suiza, Alternative Liste AL, Attac, BastA!, CaBi Antirassismus Treffpunkt, Juristes Démocrates de Suisse, Direkte Solidarität mit Chiapas, Frauenlesben Kasama, Frauen Lora, GsoA, Kurdische Frauenbewegung, Kurdisch-Türkisch-Schweizerischer Kulturverein KUTÜSCH, Labyrinthplatz Zürich, Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz PdA, Religiös-Sozialistische, Vereinigung der Deutschschweiz ReSos, Solidarité sans Frontières, Solidar Suisse, solidaritéS Schweiz, Unia, Verein Für Menschenrecht und Solidaritat in der Schweiz, Vereinigung unabänginger ÄrztInnen VUA, Volkshaus Kultur- und Solidaritätsverein der Ostschweiz, VPOD / SSP, Zunder, Wilpf Schweiz.