Today a ‘Peace Demonstration’ organised by four big trade unions in Ankara targeted by two bomb attacks. Two bombs went off within the masses converging on the demonstration square at 10 am this morning near Ankara Railway Station.
According to government figures the death toll stands at 86 and 186 people were wounded.
9 of our Party members, including a member of our Central Committee are dead and 30 of our comrades are injured.
In the elections held on 7th of June the ruling AKP lost some of its vote and did not get enough MPs to form a majority government. AKP refused to enter into a coalition with the other parties, prevented attempts to set up a government and secured another election to be held on 1st of November. Furthermore, ending its five-year negotiations with the Kurdish political establishment, AKP started terrorising the Kurdish regions with its military and police forces. Due to the terror politics of the AKP more than 1000 soldiers, police, guerrillas and civilians (including women, elderly and children) have been killed in the last three months.
Through its terror campaign in the Kurdish regions, AKP is trying to bring the HDP’s – 13% of the vote and 80 MPs in the last elections – proportion of votes to below the threshold of 10% and hence again become the majority ruling party in Turkey.
Recently, forces against the terror politics of AKP and demanding a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue have been trying to make their voices heard through activities and demonstrations. Today’s Demonstration was organised by DİSK (Revolutionary Workers’ Unions Confederation), KESK (Public Workers’ Unions Confederation) , TMMOB (Turkish Chamber of Architects and Chamber of Engineers Union) and TTB (Turkish Chamber of Doctors). Along with the members of these four unions, the demonstration were also to be attended by HDP and EMEP as well as a number of parties, political organisations and groups.
We strongly condemn the attack and repeat the fact that these attacks cannot stop us.
Labour Party (EMEP), Turkey