CHP to march on Republic Day despite ban

ANKARA

AA Photo

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has announced that the party will march toward Anıtkabir, the Mausoleum of Atatürk, to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey on Oct. 29, despite an Ankara Governor’s Office prohibition on all public gatherings until the end of November.

“On the day of the anniversary of the founding of our Republic, which was established 93 years ago, we will march from the first parliamentary building to Anıtkabir,” the deputy chairman of the CHP, Tekin Bingöl, said on Oct. 20. Bingöl said the leader of the CHP, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, will also attend the rally.

The Ankara Governor’s Office announced on Oct. 17 in a statement that all public meetings and gatherings had been prohibited until the end of November due to information received on possible terrorist attacks. 

The governor’s office indicated that public bodies may hold events in public places if they obtain special permission from the governor’s office, but that all other gatherings, protests, plays and performances in open or closed public places would be banned. Republic Day on Oct. 29 coincided with the time period of the ban.

Bingöl said the party applied to the governor’s office for special permission and that the response from the office was positive. 

“We are determined to march and our application [to the governor’s office] was taken positively. We believe the security forces will take necessary and qualified precautions until the end. All our NGOs, unions, professional chambers and organizations are invited to the march,” he said.