‘Accept stones as roses, and swearing as nice words’

CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, stating that intimations were coming in about provocations, said, ‘If you encounter an instance of provocation, please, please just applaud. There has been swearing, stones have been thrown and dung has been tipped. Let them do whatever they will, because we are marching for an ideal, we are marching for a cause, we are marching for harmony, we are marching for justice. So, even if a stone is thrown at us, accept it as a rose.’
CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu made a statement on the nineteenth day of the Justice March at the camp site in Eşme Quarter of Kocaeli's Kartepe sub-province. Kılıçdaroğlu, stating that siding with the wronged was their basic philosophy, said, ‘I hope that the nineteenth day will be auspicious.  We are marching for an ideal, we are marching for everyone in Turkey to live in tranquillity, we are marching against terrorism, we are marching to condemn terrorism, we are marching for the families who are victims of terrorism, we are marching for the 15 July fallen and heroes in combat and for all relatives of the fallen. I stated yesterday, and I state again today, that two of the Ak Party’s administrators lost their lives in Van and Diyarbakır due to terrorist attacks. We convey our condolences to the two administrators’ families. May God have mercy on their souls. Oppression is not conducive to well-being. We are opposed to oppression. We do not side with oppression; siding with the wronged is our basic philosophy and view. Siding with the wronged, opposing the one in the wrong and defending the one in the right is our basic duty. The basic reason we are staging this march is that injustice in Turkey has now reached dimensions that can no longer be accommodated.’
 ‘INTIMATIONS ARE COMING IN ABOUT PROVOCATIONS’
Kılıçdaroğlu issued a caution over provocations and asked for counter-protests to be replied to with nothing but applause and commented:
‘Imagine a set-up in which they are the ones who make the allegations. They are also the ones who hold the trial. They are also the ones who pass sentence. That is, the one who accuses, tries and passes sentence is the same person and that is called justice. This is not justice. Justice cannot work like this. If there is no button and button hole in front of a judge, in front of the robe they wear, this is because they resist all kinds of pressure. Because they have made a promise about justice. Because they will act justly. This is why we are keeping up our justice march with the same decisiveness. Within this period, certain intimations are coming in about provocations, especially on the run-up to Istanbul. Certain intimations are coming in that there will be provocations and I especially request of my friends - we say this anyhow and announce it from the buses - if you encounter instances of provocation, regardless of the viewpoint it is from and regardless of the age group it is from please, please just applaud. There has been swearing, stones have been thrown and dung has been tipped. Let them do whatever they will, because we are marching for an ideal, we are marching for a cause, we are marching for harmony, we are marching for justice. So, if stones are thrown at us, accept them as roses. If we are sworn at, accept this as nice words. Whatever is said, we will march all together for our ideal, our children, our future and justice.’
Following his comments, Kılıçdaroğlu started the march with those accompanying him. 
The cool morning weather came as a breath of fresh air to the march participants. The CHP Kocaeli province and sub-province organisations gave huge support to the march. With the march starting in the morning hours, the D-100 Highway came to a standstill. With the police directing the marchers, long queues of traffic formed.

MARCHING WITH THEIR EYES TAPED OVER

With the Justice March proceeding on its nineteenth day from Eşme Quarter of Kocaeli's Kartepe sub-province in the direction of İzmit, the right-hand lane of the D-100 highway turned into a flood of humanity as some 10,000 people flocked onto the march. CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu took frequent sips of water and orange juice as he greeted those around him on the march. CHP Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel and some CHP MPs marched with their eyes taped to resemble the Themis statue symbolising justice. With the police taking wide-ranging security measures, they marched single file alongside the march participants.

NIGHT IN HOSPITAL FOR TEKİN BİNGÖL

CHP Deputy General Chair Tekin Bingöl, who fell during the Justice March yesterday, spent the night in a private hospital in İzmit. Tekin Bingöl, who reportedly had a coronary stent inserted and was operated on twice, was stated to have collapsed out of exhaustion from marching and was attached to a drip feed. Doctors declared that Tekin Bingöl must rest and must not continue on the march and asked him to spend the night in the hospital for observation purposes. Tekin Bingöl was discharged this morning following his treatment and is resting.
MARCHING TOGETHER WITH EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

As CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu headed from Kocaeli's Kartepe sub-province to İzmit, he did so in the company of earthquake victims. Residents of the Arızlı Irak Residences in İzmit, constructed for people who had lost their relatives in the Marmara Earthquake, joined the march as of yesterday, carrying placards reading, ‘We, too, want justice. Arızlı earthquake victims.’ The earthquake victims said that there was a wish to deprive them of the residences that had been donated by Iraq to the earthquake victims, Kocaeli Provincial Governate had given notice for the residences to be vacated and they would not leave the residences.
FORMER DEPUTY GENERAL CHAIR OF THE IDEALIST HEARTHS MARCHES ALONG WITH KILIÇDAROĞLU

Former Deputy General Chair of the Idealist Hearths, Mehmet Taşdelen, joined the march in Fenerbahçe strip along with his son Göktürk. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu walked for a while holding the hand of Mehmet Taşdelen's son Göktürk, who marched alongside him. A break was taken when they arrived at Kartepe’s Uzunçiftlik locality.

100 KILOMETRES TO ISTANBUL

Accompanying CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as he continued on the nineteenth day of the Justice March that he launched from Ankara to Istanbul were journalists, writers and representatives of various civil society organisations. Hürriyet newspaper columnist Ayşe Arman, journalist-author Levent Gültekin and Ataturkist Thought Association General Chair Tansel Çölaşan walked alongside Kılıçdaroğlu.

On the march, Kılıçdaroğlu passed the signpost in Kocaeli's Kartepe sub-province showing that 100 kilometres remained until Istanbul. Many march participants had photographs taken in front of this signpost.
PARTY ASSEMBLY MEETING HELD

While a break was being taken on the Justice March at Kartepe Uzunçiflik, CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu held a party assembly meeting in a tent fitted out with tables. Over the course of the Justice March, Kılıçdaroğlu has held two Central Executive Committee, one group and, today, a Party Assembly meeting.
 ‘MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THE SOULS OF OUR FALLEN’

CHP Deputy General Chair Bülent Tezcan summed up the Party Assembly meeting that was held today. Tezcan, noting that they were suffering heartache on account of the fallen, said, ‘We held our Party Assembly meeting on the Justice March route. We are chalking up firsts on the route of this Justice March. We held a group meeting and Central Executive Committee for the first time, and now a Party Assembly meeting for the first time. Initially, we have lost some of our people and we are distressed and suffering heartache. May God have mercy on the souls of our fallen. We convey our condolences to all their relatives and to our people. Terrorism is continuing to cut down lives. It continues to be one of Turkey’s most important issues and to dominate the agenda. We are at a point at which we as a people adopt a joint stance and resolve against terrorism.’

Having conveyed his sorrow over the victims of terrorism, Tezcan went on as follows:
‘His excellency our General Chair called and expressed his condolences to the families of the Justice and Development Party administrators who had fallen victim to terrorism and shared their grief. We, too, as the party assembly extend our condolences from here. We have entered the final week of the Justice March. We have had colleagues who have experienced health problems. Our Deputy General Chair Tekin Bingöl was taken to hospital yesterday and we wish him a speedy recovery. He is in good health at the moment. Aydın MP Hüseyin Yıldız suffered a heart spasm and underwent a by-pass operation. He is also in good health at the moment and I have spoken to him. Our march will continue despite all the arduous conditions. Our goal is hallowed and we are marching for a hallowed aim. Our fight will continue until we achieve justice and until justice is attained.’

THE FUNDAMENTAL MAJOR GOAL IS 9 JULY

Tezcan, stating that they had assessed the development of the march until now, said, ‘We spoke about its effects. We spoke about the fundamental major goal of the big meeting in Istanbul Maltepe at 18.00 hours on Monday 9 July. We thank all our citizens who have shown interest and given support over the entire route ever since the day on which our Justice March started. We have met with broad interest and support from civil society organisations and all sections of society. We, our party, are delighted with this interest and owe them a debt of gratitude. The goal is the 9 July meeting at Maltepe. We await all our citizens in Maltepe at 18.00 hours on Monday. There has been participation from all four corners of Turkey until now. There has been very strong participation over the route. In the final week, we expect our citizens, our compatriots, to devote a special interest and effort towards Maltepe and to channel the bulk of their energy towards Maltepe. A powerful cry for justice will ring out in Maltepe.’

‘WE WILL HAVE NO FLAG APART FROM THE TURKISH FLAG’

Tezcan, saying that the sole banner was the ‘justice’ banner, continued:

‘This march is not a party march. There are no party emblems, party posters or party banners on this march. We have a single banner of justice. We say, ‘justice alone, and we write, ‘justice’ alone. In Maltepe, there will only be ‘justice’ banners, too. All sections of society will converge around this common point. We have a single slogan of right, law, justice. We will have no flag apart from the Turkish flag. We will have no banner apart from the justice banner. We will have no slogan apart from, ‘right, law, justice.’ We have assessed the importance of the justice meeting in all its dimensions at our party assembly. We experienced a ‘no’ meeting here in the 16 April referendum. It encompassed a broad body of people. The justice meeting will encompass a broader body of people than the ‘no’ meeting. It will not just be a meeting point for ‘no’ voters, but the justice platform will be a joint platform on which ‘yes’ voters will also meet. As such, a broad platform stands before Turkey that will encompass all those who deep down wish for justice regardless of their preferences. The 9 July Istanbul Maltepe meeting will be a meeting on the brink of creating the future. Along the way, we feel the need to draw attention to provocations.’

INTIMATIONS ARE COMING ABOUT ATTEMPTS TO BREAK IT UP

Tezcan, stating that intimations were coming in about provocations targeting the march, commented, ‘Intimations are coming in about the dispelling, breaking up or destruction of this meeting. There may also be attempts to interfere with subsequent developments. We concluded at our party assembly that the maximum sensitivity must be devoted to this. There has been a single slogan and a single banner over the route, and we will not permit banners and emblems apart from this. Also, apart from this point, we will reply to provocative attempts with applause and with reference to right, law and justice as we have done until now. We will not enter any kind of argument. Even those who want to engage in provocation will feel the need for justice one day. So, we will complete a huge march on which everyone will converge around the common goal that is justice. Next week is the anniversary of 15 July. We know and state that there are two 15 Julys. One of these is the people’s and the other is the palace’s 15 July. We will not sacrifice the people’s 15 July for the palace’s 15 July. The agenda of the people’s 15 July is democracy. The people resisted at the cost of their lives for democracy. The palace’s 15 July, on the other hand, was the 20 July coup opportunism. In the cause of destroying the people’s 15 July, the palace’s 15 July took advantage of that process, took advantage of the quashed coup attempt, and carried out the 20 July state of emergency coup. Turkey has reached the most extreme point today which sees it having reached this point at which justice is massacred thanks to the state of emergency coup of the palace’s 15 July. We will continue to stand up for the people’s 15 July. We will proudly witness along with our people and nation the end of this struggle and the taking of important steps that will change history.’

‘A DEMOCRACY WATCH IS A FINE THING’

In reply to a journalist’s question about pronouncements from the Presidential spokesperson that a democracy watch will be started on 15 July, Tezcan commented, ‘A democracy watch is a fine thing. As I have just said, democracy will not emerge from destroying the people’s 15 July and the organising of a watch informed by the coup mentality of the palace’s 15 July. We recommend that Mr Erdoğan or his spokesperson take the justice watch onto their agenda, too, in calling for a democracy watch. It is an important development for those who speak unthinkable things about the Justice March to feel the need to hold a democracy watch in the streets. It is an important step. It means that democracy can be sought in the streets. I think that they must understand that justice can then be sought in the streets. I will leave it to our beloved people and nation to gauge the sincerity of those who massacre and destroy democracy calling for a democracy watch.’

OUR SIGHTS ARE SET ON VISITING ENİS BERBEROĞLU

Tezcan replied as follows to the question of whether the CHP General Chair would visit CHP MP Enis Berberoğlu:
‘His excellency our General Chair has his sights set on visiting our Istanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu. We are deliberating over the date. It may be Monday, or may be earlier. We have not completed our deliberations but our sights are set on a visit.’
The HDP in the Justice procession
The HDP joined the march yesterday from the vicinity of Kandıra Prison. The CHP procession greeted the HDP’s Co-Chair Serpil Kemalbay, Deputy Co-Chairs Saruhan Oruç and Sezai Temelli, Central Executive Committee members Beyza Üstün and Murat Mıhçı and MPs Celal Doğan, Erol Dora, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Feleknaz Uca and Mithat Sancar, and Ahmet Türk with the giant Turkish flag that had been unfurled to a length of 1011 metres two days earlier and that symbolises the anniversary of Atatürk’s death. The HDP group consisting of around twenty people carried banners reading, ‘Justice for everyone’ and were seen to give carnations to Kılıçdaroğlu. They noticeably stayed one pace ahead of Kılıçdaroğlu while marching together for 300 metres.
Delegation member Ahmet Türk said, ‘If democratic conditions are not provided to the Kurds, who have suffered the most injustice, our quest for justice will be deficient. We are here to support the Justice March. It must be taken to a point at which it includes everyone to the exclusion of nobody.’