MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed (Diyarbakır)- In Turkey, the people will cast their votes on Sunday, May 14, to determine the fate of the country. The most emphasized issue for elections is to ensure security for the elections. The members of the political parties and NGOs will monitor the elections to make the elections as “transparent” as possible. In addition, lawyers are also determined to ensure security for the elections. Lawyers will be in schools across Turkey to monitor the elections and ensure security for the elections. In Amed, 250 volunteer members of the Lawyers Association for Freedom (ÖHD) and Amed (Diyarbakır) Bar Association will also monitor the voting process in order to ensure free and fair elections.

‘We are concerned about the security for the elections’

 Lawyer Gizem Miran, Co-chair of ÖHD Amed branch, told us that 250 lawyers will monitor the elections in Amed to provide a safe environment for voters so that they will cast their votes. 120 lawyers of the ÖHD have completed vote-monitoring courses organized by the ÖHD. “We are concerned about the security for the elections. 120 lawyers will visit all schools to ensure the security for the elections and free and fair elections.”

 ‘Detention operations raise our concerns’

Speaking about the detention operations conducted against lawyers, journalists and political activists after April 25, Gizem Miran said, “Four members of the ÖHD are in prison now. During every election, lawyers and people, who defend democracy, work very hard to ensure the security for the voters. As the ÖHD, we organized vote-monitoring courses for our colleagues. However, Of the 145 detained, 49, including four lawyers and five journalists, have been held in pre-trial detention. After the detention operation in Diyarbakır, more operations were conducted as part of the investigations launched in Ankara and Istanbul. These detention operations raise our concerns about the security for the elections.”

 ‘We will be on the ground to ensure security’

120 volunteer lawyers of the ÖHD and 130 lawyers of the Amed Bar Association will visit every school in Amed on May 14 to make the election transparent. Calling on everyone to vote on May 14, Gizem Miran said, “We call on the authorities, the judicial authorities once again to stop political and unlawful operations that may affect the will of the people. Everyone has the right to vote without worrying and fearing. As lawyers, we will be on the ground to ensure the security for the elections. We are determined to ensure the security for the elections by acting in accordance with the legislation.”