DEM spokesperson prevented to have photos of Kurdish protestors in parliament

Turkish Parliament's office of the speaker did not allow pro-Kurdish DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan to use photographs of a Kurdish voter protesting against soldiers voting in their constituency in local elections and of a woman protesting against the trustee appointment.

Thursday June 13 2024 10:10 am

Ceren Bayar / Gazete Duvar

Two photos that pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan planned to use in her speech at the General Assembly were blocked from entering the parliament building where her office is located.

On June 5, Doğan asked the staff of the parliament to bring the photographs to his room from DEM Party’s parliamentary group room.

The first photo showed an elderly Kurdish voter in Şırnak province who asked soldiers casting ballots in the local elections "Speak up, where are you from?"

DEM Party stated that police officers and soldiers have been registered in the districts en masse to decrease the pro-Kurdish party’s vote share in these constituencies.

The second photo depicts an elderly woman protesting against the recent trustee appointment in Hakkari province to replace DEM’s mayor.

As the parliamentary staff member was bringing the photographs from the party group to Doğan's room, he was stopped by police officers at the entrance of the building. The police officers confiscated the photographs after learning that they were brought to Doğan.

The police officers then told the parliamentary staff, "Do not take such things, you will be in trouble, an investigation would be launched. These constitute an offense. Let her advisor to carry them.”

Doğan took the matter to the office of the speaker with a petition and stated, "I request that I be informed about the unlawful confiscation of the photographs which I will use in my legislative activities under the roof of the Parliament.”

In the response sent by the speaker to Doğan, Article 17 of the parliament's security regulation was mentioned.

The article states, "...vehicles with written, printed, mounted, fixed, mobile banners, placards, pennants, posters, banners, pennants that may lead to the promotion and propaganda of a political party, sports club or any other organization, as well as persons who have them with them, are not allowed to enter the compound."