BDP deputies head to Samsun, following protests in Sinop

SİNOP - Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

Kurdish issue focused Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Levent Tüzel, Sebahat Tuncel and Ertuğrul Kürkçü have left Sinop, where they were greeted by around 200 protesters, in their tour of four Black Sea cities.

The streets were adorned with Turkish flags ahead of the deputies’ arrival, while angry protesters gathered in front of the local teacher’s institute waiting for the party members to arrive.
The deputies arrived in Sinop in the morning, as part of the ongoing solution process for the Kurdish issue.

A group of BDP supporters gathered in a local cafe to greet them, but when the cafe owner was notified of their planned arrival the supporters were told to leave.

Deputies attended a press conference following the visit, throughout which angry chants and slogans could be heard from the crowd outside. Around 10 protesters attempted to enter the building in which the press conference was being held, but they were stopped by security forces. The press conference continued with no further interruption. 

Önder tweeted pictures from inside the building where the deputies had taken shelter. The pictures show that the deputies had strengthened the doors with chairs as a precaution in case the crowd managed to enter. 

Sinop Governor Ahmet Cengiz visited the deputies in the building, and after his visit the group left the building accompanied by two panzers, two minibuses and one police car. They then headed to Samsun under serious security measures. 

Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chair Hüseyin Çelik has condemned the protests against the BDP deputies in Sinop. 

“I condemn the provocation against the BDP deputies during their visit to Sinop. All political parties should be able to hold activities in all 81 provinces [of Turkey],” Çelik said via Twitter.