14.09.2015 Ankara
14 organizations representing NGOs, syndicates and trade bodies issued a call to everyone to assemble at the Ankara Sıhhiye Square on Thusday, September 17th, to protest terror. Reading the statement, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We call on every citizen who condemns terror and works to preserve our solidarity. We say ‘No to Terror. Yes to Solidarity’. We invite everyone to this great meeting.”
The press meeting
which took place at the TOBB Twin Towers was attended by HAK-İŞ, MEMUR-SEN, MÜSİAD, T. KAMU-SEN,
TBB (Union of Turkish Bar Associations), TEMAD, TESK, TİSK, TOBB, TÜRK-İŞ,
TÜRKONFED, TÜRMOB, TÜSİAD and TZOB. The joint statement was read by TOBB
President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.
The full text is as follows:
“We,
·
Hak
Workers’ Syndicate Confederation (HAK-İŞ),
·
Civil
Servants’ Syndicate Confederation (MEMUR-SEN),
·
Association
of Independent Industrialists and Businessmen (MÜSİAD),
·
Turkey Government
Employees Syndicate (TÜRKİYE KAMU-SEN),
·
Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB),
·
Turkey Retired
NCOs Association Astsubaylar Derneği (TEMAD),
·
Turkey Merchants
and Craftsmen Confederation (TESK),
·
Turkey Employers’
Syndicate Confederation (TİSK),
·
Union of
Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB),
·
Turkey Workers’
Syndicate Confederation (TÜRK-İŞ),
·
Turkish
Enterprise and Business Community Confederation (TÜRKONFED)
·
Turkey Professional
Accountant and Certified Public Accountants Union (TÜRMOB),
·
Turkish
Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TÜSİAD),
·
Turkey Union
of Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB),
Salute you with
respect.
As you know, our
country is facing terror from within as well as without.
We’ve lost many
citizens, soldiers and law enforcement officers.
These abominable acts
wound our hearts and cause anxiety in regards to the future.
A dirty game
targeting our country, unity and peace. Our friendship of millennia is under
attack.
It is within our
abilities to avoid this trap, preserving our unity and solidarity.
We must maintain our
common sense, listen to our conscience; we must extinguish the flames of
unrest.
We must stand united
against terror which aims to set us against each other.
We must show
willingness to flourish throughout the country.
This is a day to
stand united.
No matter what our
roots, identity or creed, all 78 million of us are Turkey.
We stand together as
organized representatives of all parts of society throughout Turkey.
We are the workers,
producers, traders, farmers, public servants, retirees and entrepreneurs. We
are one, we are united!
Our common ground is
founded on democracy, rule of law and respect to human life.
Democracy means
rights and freedoms but also responsibility.
Without taking
responsibility there can be no rights or freedoms. We are moving forward with
this feeling of responsibility.
We want to put forth
our will and meet with all citizens who share our sensibilities.
In this regard, we
have decided to come together in Ankara on Thursday, September 17th,
coming from all over the country.
As representatives of
all parts of society of every view and thought, we invite all of Turkey to meet
with us in on Thursday, September 17th in
Ankara Sıhhiye Square.
On that day, we will meet in
Sıhhiye and conclude at the First Parliament.
The organizations present here
are the organizing committee of this meeting.
However, this is not just our
meeting, it is the meeting of all parts of Turkey.
We call on all civil society
organizations and citizens who condemn terror and solidarity.
We say ‘No to Terror. Yes to
Solidarity’.
We invite all of our people to
attend this meeting.
Valued members of the press,
Our greatest priority
is the safety of our citizens and maintaining peace in our country.
Our greatest power is
our solidarity.
Come; let us show
everyone our will to coexist and our solidarity.
Come; let us abandon
inflammatory statements, avoid increasing tensions in society.
We must remain calm
and prudent during this process.
There is no other
Turkey.
This is the message
we will give out on Thursday, September 17th.
We will have no
symbols of any political views or civil society organizations.
We will carry only
the star and crescent flag which symbolizes our unity, solidarity and
independence.
We will condemn
terror; we will preserve our solidarity, freedom and future.
We will focus on what
brings us together, not our differences; we will focus on the future.
We will not alienate
anyone; we will be one and shout together but one thing.
We will say, ‘No to
terror. Yes to solidarity.’
We invite all of our
nation and civil society organizations to this great meeting.
We urge all those not
able to join us there to cover the country from end to end with crimson flags.
Those who aim to
weaken our bonds of solidarity should know that the essence of these lands is
very strong.
We will foil these
dirty plots as a nation. We hope to meet with you all on Thursday, we salute
you.”