Group calls for peace march in Istanbul on July 26

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

HÜRRİYET photo

An NGO group has called for a march in Istanbul’s central Beyoğlu district on July 26 in protest of a fatal suicide bomb attack in the southeastern part of the country on July 20.

A group named “Peace Block” will organize a march titled the “Great Istanbul March” in the Taksim neighborhood of Beyoğlu on July 26.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputies Filiz Kerestecioğlu and Garo Paylan attended a press conference over the details of the march in the chamber of engineers’ union building.

The march will start in front of Turkey’s state television TRT building in the Tepebaşı neighborhood at 4:00 p.m. and will head to Aksaray, according to the organizing committee. 

Istanbul Doctors’ Union board member Samet Mengüç and Human Rights Association (İHD) minorities’ commission member Meral Çandır also attended the press conference. 

“Despite the pains we are suffering, we will continue our struggle for people and peace. This is the main goal of this march,” Mengüç said during the press conference.

Kerestecioğlu said their meetings with the governor’s office continued, responding to a question on whether they had received permission for the march.

The decision to hold a march came after a suicide bombing attack in the southeastern border town of Suruç on July 20 which left at least 32 people dead and more than 100 others injured.

The Suruç bombing has elicited sorrow and rage from several parties and spurred protests across the country, with people taking to the streets to protest the deadly attack.