Hundreds sign declaration in solidarity with Kurdish deputies beaten by the police

Turkish citizens including prominent journalists, writers and academics signed a declaration to show solidarity with pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Thursday, after two of its deputies were beaten by the police during a demonstration at the weekend.

Strongly condemning the “state violence” against the HDP and HDP deputies, 290 signatories called on authorities to punish those who encourage and perpetrate the violence.

“We; Those who defend life against death, peace against war, democratic politics against violence with no ‘buts’, stand by the HDP administration and Selahattin Demirtas [imprisoned former HDP co-Chair], who resolutely say that our vital problems can be resolved not with pressure, guns, violence, but with the expansion of freedoms, democratic politics and dialogue,” thee signatories said in their declaration.

“We consider the attacks and threats made against them to be done to all of us,” they said.

The list of the signatories follows below:

Adil Demirci, Adil Okay, Ahmet Aykac, Ahmet Dindar, Ahmet Insel, Ahmet Kardam, Ahmet Muhtar Cakmak, Akin Atalay, Akin Atauz, Alev Er, Ali Bilge, Ali Ekber Peksen, Ali Galip Yildiz, Ali Mirzaoglu, Ali Nesin, Ali Tevfik Berber, Arzu Erbilici, Asuman Bayrak, Ata Yildirim, Atacan Atakan, Avram Ninyo, Ayhan Dagdeviren, Ayse Erzan, Ayse Gozen, Ayse Gul Altinay, Ayse Hur, Ayse Sozeri Cemal, Aysen Anadol, Ayten Gumusel, Ayten Yildirim, Babur Pinar, Bahri Bayram Belen, Bahri Gedik, Baki Tezcan, Barıs Trak, Baskin Oran, Beril Eyüboglu, Berrin Sonmez, Berrin Uyar, Binnaz Toprak, Bulend Tuna, Bulent Atamer, Bulent Tekin, Bulent Uyguner, Busra Ersanli, Cafer Sezer, Cahit Mete, Cavit Sarıoglu, Cemil Camoglu, Cengiz Aktar, Cengiz Arin, Cengiz Candar, Ceren Goker, Cuneyt Basbug, Cagatay Anadol, Cigdem Simsek, Deniz Turkali, Dicle Akar, Dilaver Erbilgin, Dilek Dagdeviren, Dogan Bermek, Dogan Ozguden, Dursun Bulut, Dursun Kahraman, Ebru Nuhoglu, Elif Aytac, Emine Nur, Cakir Diler, Ercan Jan Aktas, Erdal Dogan, Erdal Sahin, Erdal Talu, Erdogan Aydın, Erdogan Kahyaoglu, Ergin Cinmen, Erol Ozkoray, Ertugrul Gunay, Esat Korkmaz, Eser Karakas, Esra Mungan, Esber Yagmurdereli, Eyup Yılmaz, Fatin Kanat, Fatma Dikmen, Fatma Gok, Fatma Muge Gocek, Fatma Unsal, Ferhan Cinioglu, Fethiye Cetin, Fikret Baskaya, Filiz Kardam, Firdevs Guremen, Fusun Dogan, Fusun Ertug, Fusun Seker, Gencay Gursoy, Gokhan Aksay, Gulcicek Gunel, Gulderen Alaca, Gulnur Acar Savran, Gulnur Mirzaoglu, Gulseren Onanc, Gulsum Aytul Dogu, Gulumser Kocak, Gun Zileli, Gunduz Vassaf, Gungor Senkal, Gungor Tekgumus, Gurel Tuzun, Gurhan Ertur, H. Cevad Ozdil, Habib Bektas, Hacer Ansal, Hacı Olukman, Haldun Aciksozlu, Hale Bolak, Halil Ibrahim Yenigun, Halil Savda, Halim Bulutoglu, Hanna Beth-Sawoce, Hasan Cemal, Hasan Cebi, Hasan Sukru Dal, Hasan Urel, Hatice Kumbasar, Haydar Yilmaz, Haziran Gunel, Hicri Izgoren, Hovsep Hayreni, Hulya Demir, Husamettin Akisli, Huseyin Eminoglu, Huseyin Habip Taskin, Huseyin Karakus, Huseyin Saribas, Huseyin Topcu, Husnu Ondul, Isik Yenersu, Ilker Demir, Inci Alturk, Inci Hekimoglu, Inci Tugsavul, Ismail Acikgoz, Ismail Atmaca, Ismail Biyikli, Ismail Cem Ozkan, Ismail Kilinc, Johanne Trak, Kadir Cangizbay, Kemal Akkurt, Kemal Yalcın, Kudret Unal, Kumru Toktamis, Kursad Tosun, Latif Simsek, Ludmila Denisenko, Macit Copur, Mahir Ozgul, Mebuse Tekay, Mehmet Bayram, Mehmet Guc, Mehmet Karlidag, Mehmet Nur, Mehmet Sait Aydin, Mehmet Serif Kiran, Mehmet Ugur, Mehmet Uluisik, Mehmet Ural, Memik Horuz, Metin V. Bayrak, Mevlut Ulgen, Mihail Vasiliadis, Muharrem Armutlu, Muhsin Bostancı, Murat Celikkan, Murat Ersoy, Murat Polat, Mustafa Elveren, Mustafa Erdogan, Mustafa Pacal, Nazar Buyum, Nazim Ozturk, Necdet Kok, Necmiye Alpay, Nergiz Savran Ovacik, Nesrin Nas, Nesrin Sungur Cakmak, Nesteren Davutoglu, Nese Dursun, Nese Erdilek, Nevin Kamilagaoglu, Nevzat Onaran, Nihat Bulut, Nil Mutluer, Nilgün Dogancay, Nilgün Ozsahin, Nur Surer, Nurcan Baysal, Nurhan Bayraktar, Nuri Uygur, Nursen Sonmez, Onur Erden, Orhan Alkaya, Orhan Dogancay, Orhan Silier, Osman Demirbag, Osman Okkan, Oya Baydar, Oya Guzey, Oya Kalkavan, Omer Ceylan, Omer Ersun, Omer Guven, Omer Madra, Omer Ozturk, Onder Algedik, Pakrat Estukyan, Pınar Omeroglu, Raif Batur Talu, Recep Marasli, Rezzan Tuncay, Rifat Yuzbasioglu, Riza Duru, Riza Turmen, Saime Tugrul, Sait Cetinoglu, Sakin Gunel, Salime Uz, Selcuk Eralp, Selim Eskiizmirliler, Semih Bilgin, Semra Somersan, Serdar Kocol, Serdar M. Degirmencioglu, Serdar Seckin, Sevil Aslan, Sevilay Celenk, Sirac Sulhan, Suzan Samanci, Suzan Yazici, Suleyman Eryilmaz, Suleyman Ozyalcin, Sahika Yuksel, Sahin Tekgunduz, Sanar Yurdatapan, Sengun Kılıc, Seyda Talu, Sukru Hamarat, Tahsin Yesildere, Talat Buyuk, Taner Akcam, Taner Timur, Tarik Gunersel, Tarik Ziya Ekinci, Tatyos Bebek, Temel Iskit, Tenziye Acar, Teoman Koray, Tuna Altinel, Ufuk Uras, Ulku Berber, Umit Aktas, Umit Kardas, Umit Kaya, Umit Kıvanc, Ummuhan Kursun, Unal Karasu, Unal Unsal, Vedat Say, Vega Sankur, Veli Bas, Viktorya Ciprut, Yakin Erturk, Yalcin Ergundogan, Yalcin Kilic, Yaprak Zihnioglu, Yasemin Ahi, Yasemin Congar, Yasin Cagirankaya, Yasin Yetisgen, Yekta Altuisik, Yusuf Karasoy, Zafer Yildirim, Zehra Arat, Zeki Samer, Zeynep Akinci, Zeynep Atikkan, Zeynep Tanbay, Zeynep Taymas, Ziya Bayram, Zulfu Dicleli.

On Sunday, HDP deputies Habip Eksik and Sait Dede were beaten by Turkish security forces during a demonstration in the Eastern Hakkari’s Yuksekova city that was held on the 24^th anniversary of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's enforced departure from Syria.

Eksik, also a medical doctor by profession, had a surgical operation for the fractures in his leg in capital Ankara on Monday.

The governor of Hakkari province issued a statement on the same day of the incident, claiming that the deputies tried to create a false impression that they were beaten by the police, by "throwing themselves on the ground."

Oct.9, 1998, marks the beginning of a series of events that resulted in the abduction of Ocalan on Feb.15, 1999 in Kenya's capital through a joint operation by the US and Turkish intelligence agencies.