Saadet Party Mersin Provincial Headquarters hung a banner reading "Israel is bombing and AKP is watching. We cannot be silent. We have to resist against oppression" on Hastane Street where the party building is located.
A few hours after the banner was hung, police teams called party officials and asked for the banner to be taken down.
However, Mersin Provincial Mayor Mehmet Polat rejected this request, stating that it was not legal.
Polat went to the party with a group of young people and waited for a while.
After the party members left the party building, police teams arrived in front of the party building at around 23:00 at night.
The banner was taken down by the police and fire brigade.
“POLICE TAKE IT DOWN AT MIDNIGHT WHILE WE WERE NOT AT THE PARTY BUILDING”
Pointing out that the government has not taken any concrete steps regarding Gaza, Saadet Party Mersin Provincial Chairman Mehmet Polat stated that they made a call with the banner they hung.
"Even though there was no insulting or criminal sentence on the banner, friends from the police called in the evening and asked for the banner to be removed. After all, we are a political party, we need to express something, we stated that we will not tolerate it. We had a few phone calls, they said they would get back to you. At midnight, they came and removed the banner while we were not at the party building," Polat said.
“NOW THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO LEAVE LITERATURE AND TAKE CONCRETE STEPS”
Polat also pointed out that the government has produced Gaza literature better than anyone else at the podium and stated that they told those who asked them to take down the banner over the phone that they would not remove it.
"We will file criminal charges against anyone who gives illegal instructions regarding this. Because this is our most legal right. When the government actually came to the podium, it produced Gaza literature better than anyone else, and we put our signature under those speeches. But trade has continued since the massacre began in Gaza. They say they have stopped trade, but as far as we have learned, trade continues through subcontractor countries, especially Bulgaria. Again, oil from Azerbaijan continues to go to Israel through us. Now the government needs to abandon literature and take concrete steps. We want to announce this to the public," Polat added.