Kılıçdaroğlu on the eighteenth day of the Justice March: The quest for justice still continues

Kılıçdaroğlu said in the statement in which he remembered the fallen in the Sivas massacre 24 years ago, ‘Today, on 2 July, I pay my respects to the memory of those of our citizens who lost their lives in the Sivas massacre. The quest for justice still continues. It is one of the most important indicators of how important this Justice March of ours is.’
 
CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, stating that they want a just government, said, ‘We want a just state and a just society. We want an order in which justice prevails, we can all speak freely and express our thoughts without being thrown in jail. With this in mind, I hope those governing the country are pricking up their ears further to our Justice March. Let them not accuse us. Let them listen to us. We are the people of this country.’
CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu made a statement at 7 am at the rest facilities at Dörtyol locality in Sakarya's Erenler sub-province. Kılıçdaroğlu, remembering the fallen in the Sivas massacre 24 years ago, said, ‘We are on the eighteenth day of our Justice March. God willing, this day of ours will also be auspicious. We are conducting an exceptionally decisive, resolute and conscious march. Citizens who support our march are, just as we, too, would wish, keeping up their guard against all kinds of provocation. For this reason, I convey my sincere gratitude to those citizens of mine. Today, on 2 July, I pay my respects to the memory of those of our citizens who lost their lives in the Sivas massacre. The quest for justice still continues. It is one of the most important indicators of how important this Justice March of ours is. Our greatest desire in this regard is for nobody to be accused and criminalised on account of their beliefs, identity or political views. We must accept and esteem people’s thoughts and ideas. Whenever they express their thoughts, we must all jointly show respect for these thoughts. We may have different ideas, but we must together display our readiness to live together.’
JUSTICE FOR SUB-CONTRACTED WORKERS
Kılıçdaroğlu, noting that nearly one million sub-contracted workers want to be employed on the public payroll, said that sub-contracted workers were at his side yesterday and they, too, wanted justice. The CHP General Chair commented, ‘They say, “We were promised inclusion on the public payroll. Please, we beg you, raise this once more.” On the Justice March, I once more at seven o’ clock this morning raise sub-contracted workers’ demand for justice before you all. I want justice for them, too. They also work, produce and sweat away. They also want to be on the public payroll and have job security. So, they want justice and we must offer justice.’
LET THEM NOT ACCUSE US BUT LISTEN TO US
Kılıçdaroğlu, asking not to be accused but to be listened to, recalled the hadith of Holy Muhammad, ‘One day’s just rule is superior to worshiping for sixty days’ and continued:
‘We are marching calling for us all to act with justice, and not for one day. Not even for one day. We all, all our citizens who are supporting us, want a just government, a just state and a just society. We want an order in which justice prevails, we can all speak freely and express our thoughts without being thrown in jail. With this in mind, I hope those governing the country are pricking up their ears further to our Justice March. Rather than accusing, listening is the prime duty of one who governs. Why are we marching and what reason do we have for marching? Why do we remain silent in the face of all the abuse that is heaped on us? Why are we saying, “Justice, justice, justice” with conviction and resolve? Let them not accuse us. Let them listen to us. We are the people of this country.’
CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, expressing his condolences for the AKP administrators who were killed by the partitionist terrorist organisation, said:
WE ARE OPPOSED TO TERRORISM
‘We are opposed to terrorism. Two Justice and Development Party administrators have been murdered by the terrorist organisation in the east. We send our condolences to the two administrators’ families. We send our condolences to the administrators of their political party, the Justice and Development Party. We convey our wishes that God will have mercy on their souls. We say yet again that it is our joint duty to stand all together in opposition to terrorism in an honourable manner, regardless of who or where terrorism comes from and how. Just as we defend justice.’
Women coming from Sivas's Divriği sub-province gave flowers to General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu following his statement and joined the march. With the march brought forward by one hour today due to the hot weather, the plan was to march 7.3 kilometres, 6.5 kilometres and 3.7 kilometres and reach Kocaeli's Kartepe sub-province today.
HEAT-MOTIVATED ADJUSTMENT TO THE JUSTICE MARCH
The first stopover on the Justice March was made at Esentepe Square at the entry to Sakarya University. Following a walk of about seven kilometres, the break, normally taken for half an hour, was extended in view of the exceptionally hot weather and it was decided to continue the march in the afternoon. Those suffering from the heat lay on the grass at the roadside and tried to rest. During the march, a number of people standing at the roadside unfurled a banner carrying the Turkish and Canadian flags reading ‘We demand justice’ in English. A 600-metre-long petition for the detained academics was unfurled and carried on the march by the CHP Beşiktaş organisation. As the march progressed, people awaiting the procession on overpasses scattered down rose leaves in support of the marchers.
EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS JOIN THE MARCH
Residents of the Arızlı Irak Residences in İzmit, constructed to provide temporary accommodation for those who lost first-degree relatives in the Marmara Earthquake, also joined the march. The earthquake victims carried banners reading, ‘We want justice, too. Arızlı earthquake victims.’
Recep Uğur, speaking on behalf of the earthquake victims, said, ‘Our problems with the civil servants have continued since 2008. They are trying to take the earthquake victims’ residences from their hands and turn them into civil servants’ residences. We are in possession of our protocols and our judicial decisions that have previously been passed. Kocaeli Provincial Governor in the 2013 period, Ercan Topaca, presented a solution and while we earthquake victims were awaiting transfer of the residences, now notice has been served on us and we have been told to vacate. We are in no position to vacate from here. This place was donated to earthquake victims. An ownership-tenant relationship has not come into being with the body that has served this notice on us so we do not accept the notice that has been served. Our people are waiting on the roofs with cans of petrol and we will not leave this place. We are seeking justice and to no avail. We will participate on this march until it exits İzmit.’
Lütfiye Gönüller, for her part, describing how they would burn themselves if removed from the residences where they were earthquake victims, commented, ‘If they try to remove us, we will burn the houses. I am 78. We will walk as far as İzmit for justice.’
THEY SHOWERED THE ROAD WITH ROSES
CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu took his first break on the eighteenth day of the Justice March, having set out at 7.30 am. Prior to the break, citizens who supported the march showered Kılıçdaroğlu’s path with roses from an overpass.
CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is continuing to walk on the eighteenth day of the Justice March that he launched following the detaining of his party’s Istanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu, who started the eighteenth day of the march at 7.30 am, took a break at Esentepe Square in Sakarya's Serdivan sub-province. Earlier, citizens had showered Kılıçdaroğlu’s path with roses from an overpass in Adapazarı province’s Dörtyol locality. CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu greeted this action with applause.