Statement from DEM: "There is no place for civil coups, trustee appointments, and conspiracies in democratic societies"

The DEM Party issued a statement following the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu. "There is no place for civil coups, trustee appointments, and conspiracies in democratic societies built on peace. We will continue our struggle against injustice by holding firmly to democratic values and the peace process."

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The DEM Party reacted to the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and district mayors. Describing the operation carried out on March 19 as "unlawful" and "political pressure," the party stated that it was an intervention against democracy.

In a statement made by the DEM Party Central Executive Board, it was said, "This operation is a clear indication that democratic politics has been suspended and the judiciary is being used as a tool for politics." Emphasizing that they stand with the will of the people today as they have in the past, the party stated, "Our side is clear: Democracy, democracy, democracy." The statement noted that the urban consensus is a democratic governance model and that portraying it as a crime is unacceptable. The DEM Party called for, "These unlawful practices must be ended immediately. Ekrem İmamoğlu and everyone who has been detained must be released."

HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF THAT STATEMENT

We will escalate our struggle against injustice and oppression by holding onto democratic values

Wednesday, March 19, 2025, has gone down as a black mark in the history of democracy. In the early hours of the morning, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, district mayors, journalists, and dozens of people were detained in an operation where the law was trampled upon. As the DEM Party, we strongly condemn this operation, which was carried out with unlawful and political motives, and we absolutely do not accept it.

This operation is a political pressure operation that does not align with law and justice. These detentions, carried out under the guise of law by instrumentalizing the judiciary, are a clear indication that democratic politics has been suspended, the judiciary is being used as a tool for politics, and a civil coup has been implemented.

As the DEM Party, we have always stood by democracy and the law, and we continue to do so. One of the fundamental foundations of our decades-long struggle is to stand with the will of the people against attacks on democratic politics. Just as we did yesterday, we are against political coups and lawlessness today. Our principled stance is to defend a fair, libertarian, and democratic life. Our side is clear: Democracy, democracy, democracy.

The Call for Peace and a Democratic Society by Mr. Öcalan, announced to the public on February 27, is the compass of our struggle. The Call for Peace and a Democratic Society, which is the Call of the Century, is a manifesto for 85 million people to meet with peace and democracy, and for the construction of the right to equal and free politics for everyone. Peace and democracy are the only way out for the future of this country. In a democratic society built on peace, there is no place for politics to be designed by the judiciary and for the will of the people to be usurped.

While the ways to truly bring society, the state, and the republic together with democracy have emerged with the Call of the Century, embarking on such political operations is incompatible with the spirit of the process. While the ways to truly bring society, the state, and the republic together with democracy are clear, embarking on such political operations increases disbelief in the peace and democratic society process.

At a time when efforts to ensure internal peace are intensifying, portraying the urban consensus as if it were a crime will lead to a series of mistakes that cannot be compensated for. The urban consensus is a legitimate and legal practice of democracy. It is not a crime for all segments living in a city to form a democratic governance model through primary elections; it is the foundation of democratic life. Criminalizing this model and using it as a justification for the detention of mayors and administrators is a mental breakdown.

These unlawful practices must be ended immediately. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and everyone who has been detained must be released as soon as possible. We have opposed oppression, tyranny, lawlessness, injustice, coups, and the usurpation of will, regardless of who they come from or when. And we will continue to oppose them.

We are together and side-by-side with millions of our citizens in this country whose hearts beat for democracy. From Diyarbakır to Istanbul, our will is complete in weaving democratic life together. In democratic societies built on peace, there is no place for civil coups, trustee appointments, and conspiracies. As the DEM Party, we will continue to escalate our struggle against all kinds of injustice and oppression by holding firmly to democratic values and the peace process.

DEM Party Central Executive Board

March 19, 2025Party

News Source: 12punto