ISTANBUL - HDK warned that the coronavirus epidemic gained momentum as a result of the wrong policies of the AKP-MHP government and listed the precautions to be taken, especially the evacuation of prisoners in prisons.

 

The Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) issued a written statement today about the coronavirus threat.

 

The statements includes the following remarks: 

 

"The spread of the epidemic in our country is increasing also due to the policies of the AKP-MHP government.

 

Although the government announced on 25 February that the Iranian border will be closed, Van Governorate announced a week after that the border will be closed from 26 March. It is still unclear whether the border is closed.

 

More than 21,000 people were taken to Umrah days after the outbreak started in China and our neighbor in Iran, and only the last group of these people was quarantined. It turned out that these people were given antipyretic paracetamol on their return trip to the country by the tourism company, thereby avoided quarantine.

 

The decision to stop other international flights alltogether and to drastically cut domestic flights was taken only on 25 March.

 

Friday prayers in mosques were ended on 16 March, long after the epidemic started.

 

WE NEED CLEAR INFORMATION

 

Information on the outbreak should be shared clearly and transparently.

 

Radical and rational decisions such as stopping production activities outside sectors such as health, water, energy, communication, cleaning, and food supply chain should be taken and public mobility should be limited.

 

SOLIDARITY NETWORKS SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED

 

The AKP-MHP government continued to underestimate the problem with insignificant explanations such as 'Let everyone practice their own state of emergency'.

 

KURDS TARGETED

 

In fact, by turning the epidemic into opportunities, trustees are appointed to HDP municipalities and military and police operations continue.

 

Despite the seriousness of the epidemic, the AKP-MHP government creates a perception that nothing changes for the Kurds and continues its attacks. 

 

PRISONERS AT GREAT RISK

 

The same bias policy was introduced in the proposal to release some prisoners. 

 

The draft proposal said that crime such as drug crimes, murder, violence against women, child abuse can be subject to sentence reduction while opposition politicians, members of the press and those who are in prison because they express their opinions are excluded from the scope of the bill.

 

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN INCREASED

 

Women's institutions have confirmed that the measures of self-isolation due to the coronavirus epidemic represent another danger for women, as they would be more exposed to violece.

 

Our task is to create ways of prioritizing human life and public health with social solidarity. Public solidarity networks and similar efforts created with this consciousness will manifest themselves both as experiences and as a source of hope for building a new life."