Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chair Sebahat Tuncel paid a visit to the Istanbul Technical University Mining Faculty occupation that was started by the students on May 17 to protest the massacre in Soma.

HDP Central Committee member Beyza Üstün and HDP Istanbul Office Co-chair Şamil Altan accompanied Tuncel during her visit. Tuncel stated here that the massacre in Soma was not act of fate and that although the officials claim that the death toll is 301, the locals claim otherwise. Tuncel furthermore added that the occupation here has achieved its goals and that the protest has showcased the failure of the state practices that aimed to push the youth away from politics. HDP Co-chair also mentioned that HDP condemns the May 19 Pontos Turkish Greek and May 21 Circassian Genocides.

Tuncel alluded that it was recorded that over thirteen thousand on site work accidents have taken place during the rule of the AKP government and that the Minister of Labor Faruk Çelik should resign immediately. HDP Co-chair added that: “As HDP, we are well aware of the youth’s own mechanisms of decision-making and we respect and support their protests.” Tuncel moved to present the self-criticism that HDP draws on itself: “Although we have voiced our concerns regarding this issue in the parliament several times, it seems so that we should have taken more radical steps to make sure such a massacre would not be permitted.”



May 19, 2014