BDP co-chair denounces Syria intervention at Istanbul Peace Day gathering

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Along with BDP, student associations, the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK), the Party of Labor (EMEP), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) and the Proletarian Movement Party (EHP) also participated to the World PEace Day demonstration, Sept. 1, in Istanbul. DHA photo

A group of unions, associations and political parties, including the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), organized a demonstration to mark World Peace Day on Istanbul’s Asian shores of Kadıköy Sept.1.

BDP’s co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş attended the event and expressed his disapproval of a possible U.S.-led military action targeting Syria, criticizing the government for ignoring the fact that there was considerable opposition in the society to such intervention.  

The demonstrators gathered near the historic Haydarpaşa train station before marching toward the docks chanting in support of the Gezi Park protests and the June 29 incident in which soldiers opened fire during a protest, in Diyarbakır’s Lice district, killing one.

Just as in the Taksim area across the Bosphorus, demonstrators formed human chains holding each other by the hand. The group also chanted against the possibility of an intervention against Syria.
People are against war: Demirtaş

“People in Turkey don’t want war. Whoever you ask in the street, regardless of the party he supports, doesn’t want a war,” BDP’s co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş said in a speech during the demonstration.

“So while the people are staunchly for peace, the government has to see that it is a big paradox to impose a regional war going against the society. If the government continues with its war politics, it will also continue to meet with people’s opposition,” Demirtaş said. 

Along with BDP, student associations, the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK), the Party of Labor (EMEP), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) and the Proletarian Movement Party (EHP) also participated to the demonstration.