DİYARBAKIR - Protesting the law that paves the way for appointing trustees to NGOs, the non governmental organizations in Diyarbakır told that the appointment of trustees have become a polity.
The 43 article 'Law Proposal on the Prevention of Financing the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction' criticized by the opposition and non-governmental organizations for "paving the way for appointing trustees to associations" was accepted at the General Assembly of the Parliament on 27 December. Reactions continue to come after the legal regulation passed by the Parliament. Representatives of non-governmental organizations in Diyarbakır pointed out that the regulation aims to silence the opposition and to neutralize non-governmental organizations.
Drawing attention to the fact that scores of sivil society organizations were closed down with a law decree after the July 15 coup attempt, Diyarbakır Bar Head Cihan Aydın said this practice is becoming more common lately. Stating that the government is pressuring the NGOs for a long time with detentions and arrests, Aydın said the government will appoint trustees to make the civil society organizations be in line with the government ideology.
TRUSTEES TO NGOs
Aydın said: "They want to appoint trustees to NGOs just like they did with the local governments. The government is waging a war against the political parties, sivil society organizations and persons that oppose it. Turkey has now lost its social and democratic qualities and is no longer ruled by law. Turkey is on the verge of being a totalitarian state. Since this system can no longer generate consent, it creates legislation for anti-democratic practices today.
APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES IS NOW A POLITY
Underlining that the sivil society organizations are in danger of being invaded, Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) Diyarbakır Branch Co-Chair Şiyar Güldiken told that with the law the government aims to prevent sivil society organizations to be platforms of opposition. Stressing that the appointment of trustees has become a polity, Güldiken said that appointing trustees to unions might be possible in near future.
'OPPOSITION MUST UNITE'
Emphasizing that all social dynamics should come together under one roof against the government at the current stage, Güldiken said : "It is not just an NGO that will be lost. We will have a lot to lose as a society. We may come to a point where we can no longer speak. If the opposition does not come together, a great darkness will be waiting for us."