Kültür University in Istanbul has cancelled a program that was to have been participated in by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies and the chairman of a bar association, the Diken news website reported on Saturday.
“Our activity, which was planned for Monday, has been canceled. Who canceled it? Of course, the ‘fascist and anti-democratic’ German government,” said CHP deputy İlhan Cihaner on Twitter, referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party’s reactions to Berlin over the cancellation of programs hosted by Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi in Germany.
Former CHP deputy Prof. Dr. Süheyl Batum and Mehmet Burakoğlu, chairman of the İstanbul Bar Association, were other participants of the program, which was organized by the university’s Law Club.
Cihaner said the university administration informed students that they would not allow the program, which was to have discussed a constitutional amendment package that will be voted in a referendum on April 16.
Sinan Oğan, a politician who was expelled from the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), was attacked on Saturday while campaigning for a “no” vote in the upcoming referendum that will bring an executive presidency to Turkey. A young man rushed on to the stage and attacked Oğan while he was on the podium at İstanbul’s Bahçeşehir University.
On Thursday No Party (Hayır Partisi) founder Tuna Bekleviç announced that party members were not allowed to speak in Yozgat, the hometown of Justice Minister Bozdağ.
“We were not allowed to make a statement in Yozgat today. We will not say what goes around comes around,” said Bekleviç in a Twitter message, in reference to a German decision canceling a program in which Bozdağ was to participate and make a speech on Thursday.
“It is not acceptable that the German authorities, who make speeches about human rights, democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression, and who accuse all except themselves of being lacking on these issues, cannot tolerate a meeting of the Turkish community,” said Minister Bozdağ on Thursday in reaction to the German decision, adding that he had cancelled a meeting with his German counterpart, also scheduled for Thursday.