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The Turkish Police in Istanbul city has banned the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) to hold an event titled “Time to Face the Armenian Genocide” to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide near the city’s  Pangalti Metro, Panorama.am reports referring to Ermenihaber news agency.

Citing Alevinet Turkish news agency, the source notes that the HDP members held talks with the law enforcement officers to receive a permission for organizing the event, however to no avail. The police informed that they “have orders from above to ban the event.” Afterwards, the participants of the rally headed to the HDP party’s building to hold the event, waving posters reading “Never let it be forgotten”  and “As long as there is no confrontation, the Genocide won’t stop”.

HDP member Melis Tatan delivered a speech at the event, noting that the 1915 Genocide has not ended. “It continues with the assassinations of Hrant Dink, Sevag Balikci and Maritza Kucuk, failing to bring the real culprits to responsibility and concealing the reality,” he added.

Speaker of the Istanbul’s “Nor Zartonk” initiative Norayr Olgar also delivered a speech, noting that the genocide committed against the Armenians continued in Kurdish provinces of Turkey. He called on Turkey at least to face the evidence of the past 102 years later to prevent the future deportations. “There can be no peace without facing the Genocide,” he added.