The Van Labor and Democracy Platform issued a statement regarding the police attack during the September 1 World Peace Day march in Van (Wan). The statement noted that banners reading “Raise your voice for peace for a democratic society” and “Ji bo civaka demokratîk deng bide aşitîyê” were carried, while slogans such as “No to war, peace now” and “Em şer naxwazin, aşitîyê dixwazin” (“We do not want war, we want peace”) were frequently chanted.
Funda Demir Bozkurt, Co-Chair of the Van branch of the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Egitim-Sen), delivered the statement on behalf of the platform. She said they had gathered to emphasize the indispensability of equality and democratic life. Funda Demir Bozkurt added: “Unfortunately, we were subjected to a police attack at the end of our march. Our entirely peaceful demonstration, free of any violence or provocation, was attempted to be obstructed by police intervention. During the attack, many citizens, including Murat Atabay, Co-Chair of the Van branch of Egitim-Sen, were beaten.”
The attack directly targets the process
Funda Demir Bozkurt emphasized that their main demand was to contribute to the construction of peace and a democratic society, but that the police attack directly targeted this process. She said: “This situation is a clear assault on the common future of peoples and on their will to live together freely and equally. The pressures on democratic rights and freedoms are not only aimed at the participants but are part of a message intended for the whole society. The stance of the Van Police Department is alarming; this harsh intervention, aimed at suppressing the people’s demand for peace, seriously obstructs the exercise of democratic rights.”
A special policy is being imposed on Van
Funda Demir Bozkurt stated that in recent years the Van Police Department and the Van Governorship have frequently placed the city under blockade and intervened harshly in peaceful demonstrations, noting that this attitude has continued for years. Funda Demir Bozkurt said: “A special policy is being imposed on Van, and this approach could undermine the atmosphere of peace longed for by society. The United Nations (UN) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), among other international documents to which Turkey is a party, guarantee the right of peoples to peaceful assembly. The violent obstruction of this right is unacceptable. We strongly condemn this attack on the people’s will and on the struggle for peace.”
We will not step back
Funda Demir Bozkurt underlined that policies of pressure and violence cannot suppress the people’s demand for peace and equality. She stated: “The demand for peace is legitimate, just, and the guarantee of the common future of peoples. As the Van Labor and Democracy Platform, we will not step back from the struggle for peace. We will resolutely continue our struggle for democratic rights and freedoms. The future of Turkey lies not in war but in equality, freedom, democracy, and peace. We call on all our people to be the voice of peace, to stand in solidarity against repression, and to expand the struggle for social justice. Peace will prevail, democracy will prevail, the people will prevail!”