'Walking woman' arrives in Ankara, ending 500 km solo journey against 10 percent election threshold

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Aylin Kotil was welcomed by a small crowd in Ankara's Kuğulu Park July 27. AA photo

Aylin Kotil, who hit the road to protest the 10 percent election threshold, arrived at her destination of Ankara’s Kuğulu Park on July 27, after a 19-day-long march from Istanbul.

Kotil, who is a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was welcomed by a small crowd in Ankara who accompanied her during the last few kilometers to the center of the Turkish capital.

Before her departure, she was intending to meet spokespersons of the four political parties and hand them her manifesto to remove the election threshold at the destination.

She told the gathered crowd that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was afraid of reducing the threshold. “They are lacking of self-assurance, because they know the situation in which they will be when they reduce it. That’s why they are insistently resisting lowering it. But that will be in vain because we will continue our demonstrations until the threshold is removed,” Kotil said, adding that she intended to pursue her own personal efforts until she got herself heard.

“They are as guilty as the military who instituted this threshold [after the 1980 military coup]. If Turkey’s mosaic is reflected in Parliament, it will become a happier and more peaceful country,” she added. 

While marching to Ankara, Kotil had tweeted that she might march to Brussels if the threshold was not decreased to 5 percent from 10 percent. She also suffered a burglary at her home while she was away, and told reporters that all her precious objects had been stolen.

She has walked 24 kilometers every day, accompanied by a group of five people for her logistical needs.