Disk, Kesk, Tmmob And Ttb Protest Motion On Sending Soldiers To Iraq

ISTANBUL - Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) namely Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DISK), Confederation of Public Workers Trade Unions (KESK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Architects and Engineers (TMMOB) and Turkish Doctors Union (TTB) protested the motion on sending soldiers to Iraq in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Members of those NGOs gathered in front of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Istanbul office and held a demonstration.
DISK Chairman Suleyman Celebi asserted that Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq would mean contribution to the United States' initiatives to conceal its crimes there.
Stating that most of Turkish people were against being a part of war in Iraq, Celebi said that deputies of the ruling party showed it with their will on March 1.
Celebi claimed that the United States was in an imperialist war in Iraq for its interests and asserted that Turkish soldiers would probably be sent to the most problematic region in Iraq in return to 8.5 billion U.S. dollars of loan.
Demonstrators chanted slogans and carried banners against the United States and the government.
The group later dispersed.
(EÖ-Öª) 07.10.2003