2017 March for Justice

A "state of emergency" was declared in Turkey following the failed coup attempt in 2016. Over 50,000 Turks were jailed in the aftermath of the failed coup. Another 140,000 were removed from their jobs in a number of fields, particularly the civil service, military, judiciary, academia and the media. Kılıçdaroğlu commented that judges wait for orders from the presidential palace before making decisions. In an opinion piece published in The New York Times, opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu stated that he and others were marching for "democracy, justice and freedom from fear and authoritarian rule in Turkey." Kılıçdaroğlu listed democracy, rule of law, freedom of expression, the jailing of parliament members, and dysfunctional courts as reasons for the march. Turkish government officials have confirmed the authenticity of the videos, but have maintained that the videos were published by FETÖ members. Cumhuriyets editor in chief Can Dündar was sentenced to five years in prison, and fled to Germany after surviving an assassination attempt outside the Courthouse. A law which stripped immunity from members of Turkey's parliament made Berberoğlu's imprisonment possible when it was passed in May 2016. Though dozens of pro-Kurdish HDP members have since been jailed, including HDP chairman Selahattin Demirtaş, Berberoğlu is the first CHP member to be imprisoned in 15 years of AKP rule. ==March==

during the March, just before arriving by the Sea of Marmara The protest was led by opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Thousands of protesters participated in the march, carrying signs that read adalet (the Turkish word for "justice") and chanting "rights, law, justice". A diverse group of citizens participated, including members from different political parties, trade unions, as well as ordinary citizens. On July 6, 2017 Bloomberg reported that 30,000 protestors were participating in the march. Marchers have reported difficult conditions, including walking 20 kilometers a day, hot weather and rain. At least one elderly protester has died of cardiac arrest during the march. In the aftermath of the July 2016 coup attempt, the government declared a "state of emergency" in which 50,000 Turks have been arrested and a further 140,000 people have been fired or suspended from their jobs, including the chairman of Amnesty International Turkey. Judge Aydin Sefa Akay, a member of the United Nations war crime panel, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for suspected involvement in the coup attempt. Counter-demonstrations have been held by AKP supporters. – the biggest opposition gathering since the protests in Gezi Park in 2013. Kılıçdaroğlu spoke at the rally. During his speech Kılıçdaroğlu said that the state of emergency declared by Erdoğan and his government in response to the 2016 coup attempt had suspended the powers of the national parliament and the judiciary. He read a list of demands which included an end to the state of emergency, an independent judiciary, and the release of imprisoned journalists, politicians, and others who were arrested during the purges that followed the coup attempt. He said that "subjecting the judiciary to partisan politics is a betrayal of democracy." He also said that the rally was only the beginning, adding: "This is a rebirth for us, for our country and our children. We will revolt against injustice." He said that the April constitutional referendum that had eliminated the post of prime minister and greatly expanded the powers of the presidency was "unlawful" (the changes take effect in 2019). Because the state of emergency was in place when the referendum was carried out, Kılıçdaroğlu said that "all public resources were exploited to manipulate the outcome". ==Reactions==

Domestic President Erdoğan has said that the marchers are supporting terrorism: "If you are launching a march for terrorists and for their supporters, something which you have never thought about doing against terrorist groups, you can convince no one that your aim is justice." He said that the opposition party's actions exceeded the scope of political opposition and said that they were "acting with terrorist organisations and the forces inciting them against our country". Erdoğan likened the march to the coup attempt: "The coup soldiers had their F-16s and tanks; Kılıçdaroğlu has his march." Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım called the march "non-national" saying: "Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, you should give up. You can go nowhere with separatists and FETÖ but a dead-end street." On 16 June, the second day of the march, Yıldırım said that Kılıçdaroğlu should have marched against the coup: "Those who did not take to the streets that day [July 15] are now marching from Ankara to Istanbul. If you will march, you should march against coup. Justice cannot be sought in the streets." He mocked the protestors, saying they should have taken a high-speed train to Maltepe instead of walking in the hot summer weather. Some commentators at the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper have written that the march "is an attempt to release some pressure emerging from intra-party dissident voices". Devlet Bahçeli, chairman of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said that the march "aimed at anarchy". Bahçeli said that Kılıçdaroğlu's actions were equivalent to supporting FETÖ. ==References==