EliH - Êlih Co-Mayor Gülistan Sönük made a statement after a three-pronged march to the municipality building in Êlih led by TJA, DBP and DEM Party against the appointment of a trustee and said, "We will be in the fields until the usurper regime removes its hands from the municipality."

 

The crowd, including Tevgera Jinên Azad (TJA), Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs and Êlih Co-Mayor Gülistan Sönük, who was dismissed and replaced by a trustee, gathered in 3 different branches in Habip Başkan Park, in front of Gala Wedding Hall and Salih Özdemir Park.

 

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır and Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) Party Assembly (PM) member Beycan Taşkıran also joined the citizens gathered in front of Gala Wedding Hall. 

 

The mass marched along the road with the slogans ‘Êlih ya me ye, rumeta me ye’, ‘Thief trustee, get out of Kurdistan’, ‘Jin, jiyan, azadi’, ‘Trustee get out’, ‘Bijî berxwedana Êlihê’ and ‘We will win by resisting’. Welcomed by the people with victory signs and applause, the mass invited everyone to the front of the municipality.

 

Police withdrew due to crowd reaction

 

The march in Bağlar neighbourhood was accompanied by the slogans ‘We will win by resisting’ and ‘Jin jiyan azadî’. DEM Party Êlih MP Zeynep Oduncu also participated in the march and the police wanted to detain a young man.

 

However, the crowd rescued the young man from the police. The police withdrew upon the reaction of the masses. The mass marched with slogans and chants and met with the mass waiting at the entrance of Gülistan Street.

 

Citizens accompanied the march with chants from their homes

 

Gülistan Sönük, Co-Mayor of Êlih Municipality Gülistan Sönük, who was replaced by a trustee, and Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, Deputy Co-Chairman of DEM Party in charge of Local Governments, joined the march in Salih Özdemir park.

 

With the slogan ‘Jin jiyan azadî’ and chants of ‘Jin jiyan azadî’, they marched through the streets to the municipality. The mass received support from the public throughout the march. Many citizens supported the march from the windows, doors and balconies of their houses with chants and victory signs.

 

CHP also joined the mass in a group

 

The masses including Republican People's Party (CHP) MPs Türkan Elçi and Sezgin Tanrıkulu also marched to the municipality. In front of Êlih Municipality, where a trustee was appointed and blockaded, the mass continued their resistance with halay.

 

The mass gathered in front of the municipality and made a statement.

 

‘This is not only the DEM Party's problem’

 

The mass, which split into three branches, came together on Gülistan Street. The CHP delegation, including MPs, joined the mass here. The delegation made a statement here and was supported by thousands of people. 

 

Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, who made a statement here first, pointed out that the trustees were not only appointed to the elected co-mayors of municipalities and said, "The trustees appointed yesterday means that the right to vote and be elected in Turkey is ignored. Therefore, this is a trustee appointed not to municipalities but to Turkey's democracy. This is not only the DEM Party's problem, it is the responsibility of everyone in the country. Opposing the trusteeship also means protecting Turkey's democracy. If we can raise our voices against the trustees from every city in this country, then we can protect democracy and make the trustee regime take a step back."

 

‘They made the first coup against the presidents elected by the people’

 

Speaking afterwards, CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu stated that not only the will of the people was usurped, but Êlih was plundered and said, "Elections are held every 5 years. This problem existed before AKP came to power, but it never occurred to anyone to appoint trustees to the elected people. AKP aims to strike a blow to the will of the people with this regulation. Otherwise, what did Êlih and Amed Municipality have to do with 15 July? Did the Kurds carry out the 15 July coup? They took advantage of this and dealt the first blow to the mayors elected by the people. For the third term, they have dissolved the municipal councils in all regions and are trying to plunder them with officials appointed from Ankara. They did not only usurp the will of the people. They plundered Êlih."

 

 While the statement ended with slogans, the masses continue to wait and resist.