The ‘March to Respect the Will of the People’, organised by the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, has arrived in Adana. The march is being held in protest at the appointment of a state trustee to replace the elected mayor in Hakkari (Colemêrg) Municipality, reflecting growing discontent over anti-democratic practices in the region.
Speaking in Adana, Yılmaz Hun, DEM Party MP for Iğdır, vowed to defend the people’s mandate, which he stated had been compromised by the trustee appointment. “Together with the Kurdish people and our comrades, we will stand firm against this violation of the will of the people,” Hun stated, highlighting the ongoing resistance against perceived injustices.
The DEM Party initiated this march, starting from Istanbul and Izmir, converging in Adana via Ankara, to protest against the practice of appointing trustees in general, and in Hakkari in particular.
“This march for justice signifies a resounding ‘no’ to the usurpation of the will of the Kurdish people,” said Çiçek Otlu, DEM Party MP for Istanbul. “It is a march to protect our labour and freedom, and a response to the AKP [Justice and Development Party] government’s actions against our people.”
“They will be freed from the trustees. Long live our united struggle. Long live the resistance of Colemêrg!” she concluded.
Participants from cities across Turkey, including Kocaeli, Bursa, Tekirdağ, Edirne, Çanakkale, İzmir, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, Manisa, Antalya, Konya, Eskişehir, Kayseri, Adana, Mersin and Hatay will join the march, culminating in Van (Wan) on 3 July.
The Turkish government appointed a trustee to Hakkari’s municipality on 3 June, replacing the elected Kurdish mayor. This move has sparked widespread protests and sit-ins organised by the DEM Party in Hakkari and Istanbul, with weekly events planned in other city centres.
