Pro-Kurdish DEM Party postpones local congress due to online threats

Turkey's opposition Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) on Dec. 24 declared it postponed its fourth ordinary provincial Bursa congress due to threats of attack received online.

Monday December 25 2023 09:12 am

Duvar English

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) on Dec. 24 declared the postponement of its 4th ordinary provincial Bursa congress due to online posts they received threatening to attack the meeting.

The party’s Bursa branch declared the postponement decision with a social media post which read, “Our party and our base are being targeted after recent developments. There is a serious provocation. We have thus postponed the congress with the decision of our central office.”

Son yaşanan olaylar sebebiyle partimiz ve kitlemiz hedef gösterilmektedir. Ciddi bir provakasyon söz konusu. Bu sebeple genel merkezimizin kararı ile il kongremizi ertelediğimizi halkımızın bilgilerine sunarız.

Halkların Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi Bursa il Örgütü
— DEM Parti Bursa (@DEMpartibursa) December 23, 2023

Mehmet Dilek, the co-chair of DEM Party’s Bursa branch, stated that they postponed the congress after receiving intel from the central office about groups planning to attack the congress.

Dilek added that they have met with the local police department, and the postponement call was to “prevent any provocative actions” following the death of 12 Turkish soldiers during clashes with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq.

DEM Party’s Istanbul deputy Pervin Buldan was to attend the congress. Her arrival at Bursa was postponed along with the congress.