The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will hold a justice assembly from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 in the western province of Çanakkale, the CHP spokesman said yesterday. The CHP's vice-chairman and spokesman, Bülent Tezcan, said that the party received calls from all parts of society for such a convention after CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's 400-kilometer march from Ankara to Istanbul, in order to draw attention to arrest and imprisonment of CHP Deputy Enes Berberoğlu in espionage case.
In June, Berberoğlu was sentenced to 25 years in prison for leaking secret documents to the press in the controversial National Intelligence Organization (MİT) trucks case. The deputy was arrested in the courthouse after a hearing. Tezcan said that the CHP aims to answer the need for a platform where people from every part of society can come and discuss justice in Turkey.
"So, why are we holding an assembly? Because our ancestors were solving their problems and state affairs by coming together with their people and holding such conventions. A request is arisen in this direction and we think this idea is sound," Tezcan said. He added that the assembly is not a party organization and will be above party affiliation. "I invite everyone who has things to say regarding justice to our assembly between Aug. 26 and Aug. 30 in Çanakkale," Tezcan said.