ISTANBUL
A major misunderstanding between Istanbul’s governorate and a pro-Kurdish party over a planned election rally appears to have been resolved.
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas tweeted on Wednesday that permission problems afflicting their planned May 30 rally at Istanbul’s Kazlicesme Square had been solved.
“Same day at 15:00 (GMT 13:00) we will be in Kazlicesme,” he tweeted.
Speaking on Wednesday co-chair of the HDP's Istanbul Branch, Cesim Soylu, said: “We will perform our rally in the most magnificent way on May 30.”
Istanbul governorate said in a statement on Wednesday that it has no authority over rally permissions at this time, according to an election law which grants such powers to district election boards instead.
Istanbul governorate had said on Tuesday that statements accusing it of not allowing the rally did not reflect the truth.
The governorate said that HDP executives had visited the governor’s office on May 15. It went on to claim that the governorate explained that celebrations to mark the 1453 conquest of Istanbul were scheduled for the same location.
As Turkey’s election day was approaching on June 7, the HDP needed to apply instead to Zeytinburnu District Election Board for permission to hold its rally, the governate said.
Speaking in Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Antalya at an election rally on Tuesday HDP leader Demirtas said that even if their meeting did not take place in Istanbul, Istanbulites would still support them.
“Even if we do not have a rally, we have no doubt that we will have an electoral victory there [Istanbul],” he said.
Different political parties have been holding major rallies in Turkey’s largest city. The ruling AK Party held a major event last week in Maltepe district, which attracted one million people, according to some reports.
Other, smaller parties, such as the Vatan Party, will also hold big demonstrations this weekend in Istanbul, as election campaigning reaches its peak ahead of June 7.
