​Edinburgh protest planned against Turkey's oppression

A protest against the Turkey’s treatment Kurdish people is being held in Edinburgh this weekend.

Organised by the Kurdish community in Scotland, and supported by the Scottish Solidarity with Kurdistan campaign group, the protest is calling on the UK government to send a message of condemnation to Turkey over its treatment of the Kurdish minority.

Since the election in June 2015, Turkey has instigated a widespread crackdown on what it calls Kurdish militancy with Kurds killed, arrested and put under curfew according to campaigners.

The Human Rights Association in Turkey has reported that in the last four weeks 162 civilians have been killed in the districts in South East Turkey where curfews have been declared.

Towns and districts have been kept under curfew for weeks

Murat Gulen, who is a teacher in Edinburgh and a member of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party’s (HDP) Scottish branch, said: "Kurdish and indeed many Turkish people living in Scotland are shocked at what the Turkish government is doing.

“Towns and districts have been kept under curfew for weeks with anyone leaving their homes being shot at by soldiers and police. In fact even staying in your home is not safe with reports of police officers shooting out all the windows in apartment blocks with many civilians being wounded and killed.”

Roza Salih, who was a Kurdish asylum seeker when she arrived in Scotland and is now co-convenor of the Scottish Solidarity with Kurdistan, said every day there are Kurdish deaths deaths in Turkey.

“The government has declared war on its Kurdish population. We are appealing to the prime minister of the UK to call on the Turkish government to halt this violence and start working for peace.

“The protest is organised to allow the Kurdish community in Scotland and Scottish society to show solidarity with the victims of these judicial killings.”

Protesters will gather at the east end of Princes Street at 1pm on Saturday, 16 January.