Turkey: Police attack women demanding ‘anti-HDP’ provocateurs tent be removed

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Women’s Assembly today, Wednesday 23rd June, visited the family of Deniz Poyraz who was killed by an armed attacker who stormed HDP’s Izmir office on 17th June.

After the family visit, the women all together hung a large banner with the name and photograph of Deniz Poyraz as a memorial street sign on the same street as the HDP’s office where Deniz Poyraz was murdered only days ago.

A press statement on behalf of HDP Women’s Assembly was then read out by an HDP MP Serpil Kemalbay who criticised the provocateurs tent vigil outside the HDP offices which has been ongoing for a while, according to Jin News.

Kemalbay stressed that the purpose of the provocateurs tent vigil was to make black propaganda against the HDP that had itself eventually led to the armed assault and the death of Deniz Poyraz.

“This tent was set up here by the Izmir Governorship and the palace [refering to the Presidential Palace of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]. They have set up this tent to pick out our party as a target,” she said.

The HDP MP echoed the demands of the women regarding the tent which a group of anti-HDP provocateurs have been using, blaming HDP for their family members who joined the Kurdish fighters, namely the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Our friend Deniz was murdered by someone who was trained in Syria. These tents are the tents of the murderers. We want this tents to be removed. We name this street as Deniz Poyraz Street,” she said.

After the speech, the women wanted to march, but the police stopped them so they began a sit-down protest closing the boulevard nearby to the traffic.

HDP MP Ayşe Acar Başaran spoke during the sit-down protest. “This tent points to our party as a target. This tent aims at provocation. This tent was set up by the AKP and the MHP.” she said.

Başaran also reacted to the police who blocked their way, saying them, “You are responsible for Deniz’s death”.

Police later on intervened against the sit-down protest and attacked the women with plastic bullets and pepper spray.