Protests against the cross-border operation in Kandil carried out by the Turkish army continue. On December 18, progressive and revolutionary organisations, among them also the DTP , ESP , EMEP , SDP , the union Tekstil-Sen and the Human Rights Association gathered in front of the local central office of the DTP in Istanbul and protested against the operation. The protesters, who were surrounded by the police, demanded an end to the military operations. Mehmet Sakar, vice-chair of the DTP of Istanbul, read a press statement in the name of all organisations in which he mentioned the results of the operation and said that the state answered the demands for freedom with operations and detentions. Sakar said: "Whatever price we must pay, the Kurds will always defend the values for democracy and freedom. We will always stand up against the encirclement and liquidation that are realised with a mentality of denial and annihilation. We will always be in solidarity with the Kurds.
DTP chair of Istanbul Halil Aksoy also hold a speech and said that these kinds of operations will not achieve any result, but that other forces insist on carrying out operations. He demanded a democratic solution in the Kurdish question.
At the actions, the mass shouted the slogans "Edi Bes e" and "The oppression can't stop us".