THOUSANDS RALLY AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
BÝA, Turkey
June 26 2006
Organized by the leftist Freedom and Solidarity Party 6,000.rally
against discrimination. Party chairman Kozanoglu criticizes pending
Anti-Terror Law and urges: "Everyone, including those on the mountains,
should be granted the right to participate."
BÝA (Istanbul) – The Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP) has held a
"Let’s Defend Living Together" rally in Istanbul’s Kadikoy district to
voice reaction to increasing intolerance towards people of different
origin in the country and stress that cultural and social diversity
is a wealth for Turkey.
Approximately 6,000 people attended the meeting with party members
arriving from all parts of Turkey. Starting at the square in front of
the Haydarpasa Numune Hospital, thousands marched to the Kadikoy Port
Square shouting slogans "We are here, we defend living together",
"Don’t be silent, shout, the people are brothers" and "There is no
freedom alone, either all of us or non of us".
"We are here, we defend living together".
Bulent Aydin and artist Zeynep Tanbay who presented the meeting reacted
to those saying "Either love it or leave it " and telling those wearing
a turban "go to Arabia" by saying "we are going no where and we are
standing up in front of them because we defend living together. We
have not a single citizen to post anywhere else.
We defend not compulsory citizenship but voluntary citizenship".
Agaoglu: "We multiplied through the democracy and freedom struggle".
Addressing the crowd during the meeting, author Adalet Agaoglu said
"We have multiplied to this extent by showing solidarity on the path
to democracy and freedom. This success is the result of belief and
the truth is here in this square".
Noting that the social diversity in Turkey was more colourful than
anywhere else in the world, Agaoglu added, "Difference and diversity
is good. This brings freedom and democracy together with it".
Kozanoglu: Don’t keep on serving us the TMY.
ODP Chairman Hayri Kozanoglu said in his speech that "as the Kurd,
Turk, Laz, Circassian, Armenian we are different, we are together. We
cover our heads, we have open hair, we have short skits, we have ear
rings, we are different but we are all together. ODP members coming
from Hopa, Diyarbakir, Adana and Mersin… we are all different but
we are together".
Stressing the need for more freedom and democracy in Turkey, Kozanoglu
said "We do not want a Turkey where they keep on reheating the
Anti-Terror Law and serving it to us". He called for the government
to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem.
Kozanoglu said that everyone in Turkey including those on the mountains
should be given the chance to participate in social life and reacted
to children being involved in the Kurdish problem. "Leave them alone
so children can live their childhood" her said. He also defended that
everyone, including those who hold ranks, should be tried.
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