Co-mayors of Êlih (Batman) Municipality Gülistan Sönük and Yeşil Işık, who were replaced by trustees, and municipality council members were prevented from entering the municipality by the police. The crowd was blocked by the police 50 metres from the municipality. The police blockaded the municipality and told the crowd that they would not allow them to pass without giving a reason. Gülistan Sönük reacted and pointed out that the trustee and the police commited a crime. After a long discussion, the crowd broke the blockade and made a statement in front of the Human Rights Monument on Gülistan Street. 

 

Speaking here, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Êlih Provincial Co-Chair Songül Korkmaz stated that the trustee has adopted unlawful practices as a principle and said that they will resist against this.

 

'WE WILL NOT SUBMIT'

 

Co-mayor Gülistan Sönük stated that they would not give in to the threats of the police and noted that antidemocratic practices continued after the appointment of trustees. "Our right to protest is being prevented by the blockade of thousands of police officers. We are prevented from entering the municipality that we received with 65 percent of the votes. We know very well what is behind this police barricade. The trustee, who has blockaded the municipality and is behind the police, is squandering the future of the people here. We know very well how the slaughter of culture was carried out. We know well how they made 3 billion debts. There is theft, plunder and cultural destruction behind the police barricade. That is why there are so many barricades," Gülistan Sönük said.

 

The trustee politics is doomed to lose said Gülistan Sönük and added: "They want to do with brute force what they cannot achieve with politics. They are trying to send a message to the Kurdish people by stealing. We are the ancient people of these lands. We will defend our land even if they kill us and threaten us. Today, if there is a Kurdish gain in space, they would attack again. Today Rojava is an example of this. Kurds know that Rojava and Êlih are one and will defend their land with this consciousness. We will resist; we will resist against those who do not accept our identity, culture, language and existence."

 

The statement ended with the slogans "Bijî berxwedana Kurdan (Long live resistance of Kurds)", "Kayyım talan e berxwedan jiyan e (Trustee is thief resistance is life)" and "Jin, jiyan, azadî (Woman, life, freedom)".

 

After the statement, co-mayors and municipality council members visited shopkeepers. Shopkeepers greeted the co-chairs with "Jin, jiyan, azadî" slogans and roses.