Protests against the appointment of trustees to the Wan (Van) Metropolitan Municipality on February 15 continue. In Erdîş (Erciş), Qelqelî (Özalp) and Payîzava (Gürpınar) districts, the trustee decision was protested. Speaking in front of the DEM Party building in Erdîş, Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Provincial Co-Chair Gülşen Kurt said, "The will of this people is not the officials you appointed. The people will never surrender their will to the officials you have appointed. Just as the people of Wan defended their will yesterday, they will resist against this oppression and unlawfulness today."

 

Dismissed Co-mayor Abdullah Zeydan said, "While you (the goverment) collapse the will of people with a conspired judicial decision, you are also imposing dishonor on this people. For 12 days the people of Wan have been resisting against this dishonor despite minus 16 degrees. We will send these thieves away, and in a very short time this magnificent resistance of your will establish the social peace that Turkish society has been longing for for years."

 

DEM Party Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu addressed the government and said, "Even people in Wan who did not vote for DEM Party say that this is a persecution. I appeal to you, the ruling authorities; you are figting with the people. You cannot fight or struggle with people. The people can only be served. You also created the Kurdish issue. The promlem is not the Kurds, the problem is you. We will continue to stand against these unlawful acts. Once again, we salute the resistance of the people of Wan and state that we will add our voices to theirs.”

 

QELQELÎ

 

In Qelqelî (Özalp) district, a march was organized from DEM Party building to the municipality. A statement was made after the march. DEM Party District Co-Chair Burhan Atmaca said that the trustee appointments were an oppression against the will of the Kurdish people. 

 

DEM Party Provincial Co-Chair Veysi Dilekçi pointed to the talks with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and said, “While the peoples are expecting a historic announcement, they are aiming to carry out a different policy. The purpose of this policy is that they do not want peace and tranquility in this geography. Mr. Öcalan's statement will be a historic call. This will be very valuable for our country. 

 

DEM Party Wan MP Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyiğit said, “No matter what you do, the Kurdish people will not bow down to you and will resist. For 100 years we have not succumbed to your policies of denial and annihilation. Today Mr. Öcalan is waging a struggle for the solution of the Kurdish issue through democratic and peaceful methods. Mr. Öcalan is the primary interlocutor for the solution of this problem. We trust the will that Mr. Öcalan has revealed on this issue. We stand by this will.”

 

PAYÎZAVA

 

Speaking at the statement in Payizava district center, DEM Party Wan MP Mahmut Dindar said that the trustee appointments were “a continuation of the assimilation and denial policies against the Kurdish people”. Dindar added, “Look, there is an opportunity in front of us. Mr. Abdullah Öcalan's statement in the coming days must be embraced by all peoples, the oppressed and the ignored. Everyone needs to support this process in order to realize the dream of all peoples for peace.”

 

Neslihan Şedal, Co-Mayor of Wan Metropolitan Municipality, stated that the AKP has not learned lessons from the past. Neslihan Şedal said, “We have seen in the results of the local elections on March 31st that our people gave great support to our party and put 14 municipalities at the service of the people. We have always said that this election is a historic election. We have also said our word to open the way for dialogue. We said 'let peace come', but today those who exist with war policies are seizing the gains of the people. Once again, we promise that we will protect the will of our people."