MEDİNE MEMEDOĞLU

Colemêrg (Hakkari)- Mehmet Sıddık Akış, the elected Co-mayor of Hakkari, was detained on June 3 and then removed from office and replaced with a state-appointed trustee. Two days later, on Wednesday, he was sentenced to 19 years and six months in prison on charges of “membership in an illegal organization.”

For four days, the people of Hakkari have been taking to the streets to protest the coup attempt against their will as many members of NGOs and political parties have gone to the city to support the people. The people of Hakkari say that they will hold protests until sending the appointed trustee back, calling on everyone to be in solidarity with them. “You cannot annihilate the Kurdish people by fighting them,” said People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Şırnak MP Newroz Uysal in an interview with NuJINHA.

‘A policy of denial has been pursued for centuries’

The appointed trustees should not be defined as just a usurpation of will, Newroz Uysal said. “The Turkish state has been aiming to prevent the Kurdish people from electing and being elected for years.” Newrow Uysal noted that the appointment of trustees is an existence problem and colonial mindset. “The appointment of trustees is a very historical, very deep approach that reflects general politics against the Kurds. Removal of Co-mayor of Hakkari is the denial of the Kurds. A policy of denial has been pursued against the Kurds for centuries. We are experiencing a different version of this policy today.”

‘Demands for dialogue and solution were responded with genocidal policies’

Pointing out that there is no normalization in Türkiye, Newroz Uysal said, “The Turkish state has pursued genocidal policies against the Kurds for centuries. Many people evaluated the process after March 31, observing if a new agreement was reached in the co-called softening process in Turkish politics, if this agreement would be a national agreement or an agreement that the government would actually learn a lesson from. Since the first day, our party has always called for a solution and dialogue to the Kurdish question; however, we face a system that tries to destroy the will of people by pursuing genocidal practices in response to our call. The Kobane Trial is a reflection of the military operations launched in Kurdistan. The isolation imposed in the prison island of Imrali is also a reflection of these operations. Just last week, dozens of young people were detained and sent to prison. The state always continues its oppressive operations. Its policies aim to eliminate the struggle for freedom and organization of the Kurdish people. The appointment of a trustee to the municipality in Hakkari is a part of this policy of denial. It is a political coup.”

‘We should be organized and persistent about our demands’

Calling on people and democratic groups to stand with the people of Hakkari against the trustee regime and war policies. “The state cannot annihilate the Kurds by fighting them. It cannot destroy the will of the Kurdish people by appointing trustees. The state will meet the demands of the Kurdish people sooner or later. Sooner or later, the Kurdish question must be resolved. If the state does not want to reach a resolution, our people should be organized, persistent about their demands and raise their voices. We will keep struggling and standing with our people.”