Turkey Marks Peace Day with Various Events Around the Country

On World Peace Day on September 1, demonstrations for peace are being organized all over the country. Many of the organizations call for a peaceful solution of the Kurdish question to stop the armed conflicts. Northern and Southern Cyprus are celebrating together, reports BIA News Center.

Istanbul

Chain of Peace: Rights organizations, peace activists, political parties and formations and professional organizations gather at Galatasaray square tonight at 7 pm for a peace chain with the message “Stop the military operations and create peace”. With their action they refer to the armed conflicts in the scope of the Kurdish question.

Women’s initiative for peace: The Istanbul Women’s Initiative for Peace meets at 9 pm at the tram station in Istanbul. Their motto: “Make peace, make death fall silent, make women and life speak.”

Revolutionary Youth Bridge: The organization was founded in 1969 by revolutionary university students and just recently resumed its activities on August 21. On World Peace Day, the Student Collectives want to draw attention to the organization and express their support. They will walk along the centrally located Istiklal Avenue from Taksim to Galatasaray at 5:30 pm.

Ankara

Walk for peace: Rights organizations, NGOs, political parties and formations, unions and professional organizations will start their walk for peace at 6:30 pm from Yüksel Avenue. 

Izmir

Walk for peace: United in their demand to make the weapons of the armed conflicts fall silent by all means, NGOs, political parties, rights organizations and peace activists from Izmir will meet at 5:30 pm to start their walk half an hour later at 6 pm. 

Dikili: As part of the Dikili Peace Festival in Izmir, boats will set out to sea at 5 pm to leave message of peace on the water. A walk for peace will start at 6 pm from the Bülent Ecevit square. Turkish-Greek folk dances will be performed on Atatürk square at 7:30 pm. The Aegean Band and the Midilli music group will give a concert at 9 pm.

Batman

In the south-eastern city of Batman, Democratic Society Congress Co-chairs Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tuğluk will join a demonstration for peace organized by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The meeting is held in commemoration of human rights defenders Sadi Özdemir, Salih Özdemir, Sofi Özdemir and Sedat Özevin.

Diyarbakır

A peace tent and a solemn vigil for peace are organized in Diyarbakır in the pre-dominantly Kurdish region of south-eastern Turkey. The peace tent will be set up at 8 pm in the Koşuyolu Park. The solemn vigil for peace will be held all through the night till the next morning.

Cyprus

Southern and Northern Cyprus will celebrate the World Peace Day together. A meeting in the northern part of the divided country is scheduled for 6:45 pm preceding a walk to the Ledra Palace. People in the southern part of the country will meet at 7:30 pm. Doğan Arşehit and Christos Eftimiyu will read out a joint declaration issued by the “Two Societies Peace Initiative for a United Cyprus” established by unions, associations and political parties from both parts of the country. A concert will feature Pandelis Tahassinos from Greece and Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot artists Umut Albayrak, Vula Kanstantinou, the Left Key group and a choir with members from both societies. (TK/VK)