After Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court sentenced Wan (Van) Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Abdullah Zeydan to 3 years and 9 months in prison for "knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization", Wan citizens started a vigil in fron of the municipality and continues on its 3rd day. Citizens participating in the demonstration stressed: "We will not give our municipality to them".

 

 

Emin Abi said that the sentence given to Co-mayor Abdullah Zeydan is persecution and said, "The people of Wan should protect their mayor and do whatever they can since they are not guilty of any offence."

 

 

Zekiye Kaya said, "People of Wan, protect your will. To remain silent is to be a slave. Success is the success of the people of Wan. With the trustee initiative, they want to avenge last year. On the one hand they say peace and on the other hand they appoint trustees. We absolutely do not accept it.  Everyone must protect their own will. Although our co-mayor is not guilty of any crime, they are sentencing him."

 

'TODAY IS THE DAY OF UNITY'

 

Hamide Öğrenç said, "This is persecution. We must be sensitive against this persecution. We never accept these practices. This people will never give up their will."

 

 

Delil Aksoy stated that AKP does not recognise the will of the Kurdish people and said, "Either do not set up ballot boxes for the elections or recognise the will that comes out of the ballot box when you set up the ballot boxes. The people of Wan will show the same resistance today as they have shown before. We do not accept the AKP's practice of not recognising the Kurdish will. The municipality is the will of this people and this people will claim their will on the streets. Let the world hear the voice of the Kurdish people. The day is the day of unity. Our people should come in front of the municipality and protect their will."

 

 

Stating that they will not accept the persecution and insult to the will of the people, Hacı Şahin said, "These actions are neither just nor legal. If there was justice, Zeydan would not have been sentenced. They still demand peace against this injustice and lawlessness. How can there be peace under these conditions? As the people of Wan, we condemn and reject this punishment. We will not give our municipality. For this, we will come to the vigil every day. We will resist until the last drop of our blood."

 

'WE WILL NOT ALLOW USURPATION'

 

 

 

Emin Bağ said, "They want to usurp the will of a people with this sentence. When they come here, they say that they respect the will of the people, but they are lying. The people elected their own municipality with their own will in the election. At the moment, they do not even recognise the elected municipality, deputy and existence of a people. This is oppression. Just as the people of Wan did not allow the usurpation of their will after the 31 March elections, they will not allow it this time either."

 

MA / Mehmet Güleş