Boyner’s call attracts support from MP’s

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Ümit Boyner, the head of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD),DHA photo.

A recent call by Ümit Boyner, the head of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD), for a silent million-person march against terror has found support from all the political parties represented in Parliament. The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) suggested, however, that the march should not be dubbed as “anti-terror,” but rather called a “peace march.”

Boyner’s call was inspired by the mass public demonstrations of solidarity held in Spain in the aftermath of the al-Qaeda bombings in Madrid on March 11, 2004, which killed dozens of people and injured thousands.

The BDP’s Pervin Buldan said there was a need for a silent march in Turkey in the name of peace.
“One million people should march for peace. As the BDP, we don’t look at this issue as a terror issue, but as a Kurdish issue. If they call it a march against terror, many people will not attend. But if they call it a peace march, Turks, Kurds, Armenians and Assyrians will attend, and it will also be useful for the resolution of the issue,” Buldan said.

Without making a reservation like Buldan, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Sezgin Tanrıkulu pointed out nuances and the fact that the conditions in Spain and in Turkey are not similar.

“Still, for democracy to get stronger and for a solution to the problems, people need to put forth their demands. Protests focused on joint demands for people not to be killed anymore can be held,” Tanrıkulu said.

Mustafa Elitaş of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said public support in the fight against terror was significant and that Boyner’s call was important in this regard.

“Such a reaction by the people will also boost the morale of the security forces,” Elitaş said.

Mehmet Şandır of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) called Boyner’s proposal “very appropriate.”

“As the MHP, we would wholeheartedly support such an initiative, however on the condition that this protest aims at fighting against terror. We would not support a march with a secret agenda aimed at negotiations [with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)] to resolve the Kurdish issue,” Şandır said.