TURKEY

It turned out that EU countries sent security warnings to their representative offices in Turkey and the security measures were tightened one week before the attack in Ankara Train Station.

“Discrimination in Education Report” that is prepared by Migrant Rights Group (MRG) and Tarih Vakfı (History Foundation of Turkey) is released. According to the report, the education system has a religious and nationalist approach. Students with different religious beliefs and ethnicities struggle with the discriminatory practices. The report shows that the incentive scholarships that were given to the minority schools last year can only cover a small percentage of the minority schools’ expenses. The report also points out the status problem of minority schools.

HDP’s co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş held a press conference at HDP Diyarbakır building. Speaking before heading to Cizre with HDP Committee, Demirtaş evaluated the attacks that have been going on for two days. Pointing out that the attackers are “paid and official mobs”, he said that they will pay the price before justice.

HDP MP Garo Paylan told about the racist attack against HDP headquarters in Ankara: “Burning the headquarters of a political party amounts to burning the ideals of that party.”

Malkara Mayor Ulaş Yurdakul said that the old headstones belong to the graves that vanished years ago and these headstones were put into use as manhole covers in some places of the district in the past years.

It was declared that the wanted prosecutors Zekeriya Öz and Celal Kara went to Germany, but their Armenia adventure is still considered as a given fact. Alin Ozinian traces the “fleeing to Armenia” perception in Turkish official authorities and media.

21 years old law student Claudia Brounsouzian first went to Mersin with her mother. Then, she went to Cyprus and tried to go to Europe from there. However, she couldn’t have managed to go to Southern Cyprus and because of that, she returned to Turkey; but this time, she went to İzmir. We talked to Brounsouzian about her story of migration from Aleppo to Turkey.

Following the Suruç Massacre, and the murder of two police officers in Ceylanpınar, military operations and clashes have resumed. A wave of police operations across Turkey continues. İHD (Human Rights Association) has announced that 41 people lost their lives in the week from 21 to 28 July, and that 1038 people have been detained. Reports of deaths continue to come in every day. President Erdoğan’s demand that the HDP MPs’ parliamentary immunity be lifted has caused further alarm. Human rights organizations and civil society organizations have expressed deep concern regarding recent developments.

HDP Co-Chairperson Selahattin Demirtaş has responded to journalists’ questions regarding operations targeting the PKK and ISIS.