Turkey: Demonstration in Adana planned September 24

Event

The left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is planning a demonstration at Ugur Mumcu Square (Train Station Square) at 15:00 (local time) in Adana on Sunday, September 24. Turnout for the demonstration is expected to be high, according to a security message released by the US Consulate in Adana on Friday, September 22. Expect heightened security measures and potential traffic disruptions in advance of the demonstration.

Context

The planned protest comes amid continued right-wing demonstrations held by the Turkish Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi) in recent weeks against independence for an autonomous Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Recent notable demonstrations have included those carried out by the party's youth wing, Leading Youths (Oncu Genclik), in Adana and in Istanbul on September 16 and September 19, respectively.

On September 15, a majority of Kurdish regional MPs in Iraq voted in favor of holding an independence referendum on Monday, September 25. This came after the Iraqi parliament voted on September 12 to reject the Kurdish independence referendum planned for September 25. Kurdish lawmakers in Baghdad walked out of the parliamentary session before the vote and issued statements opposing it afterward. The vote authorized Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to "take all measures" to maintain national unity.

Advice

Individuals present in Turkey are advised to avoid all protests and demonstrations due to the possibility of violence and to monitor any developments to the above situation.