Statement by HDP Foreign Affairs Co-spokespersons Feleknas Uca and Hişyar Özsoy
The AKP-MHP alliance continues its crackdown on all opposition, with further detentions and arrests. The alliance has a misogynistic policy and puts pressure on women who fight for women’s rights and freedom. Police operations have targeted women in Diyarbakır, and over a dozen of women have been detained.
On 16 March 2022, early in the morning, police raided the homes of many women activists as part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2021. It has been announced that detention warrants have been issued for 24 women. Among the detainees are Filiz Buluttekin, the former co-mayor of the Sur district who was replaced with a government-appointed trustee; Fatma Yıldızhan, the secretary of Health and Social Service Workers’ Union (SES) in Diyarbakır; and Adalet Kaya, who is the Chair of the Rosa Women’s Association
Other women activists detained include:
• Nevin Oyman – Board member of the Rosa Women’s Association
• Fatma Gültekin – Member of the Rosa Women’s Association
• Zekiye Güler – Free Women Assembly (TJA) activist
• Remziye Sızıcı – HDP Yenişehir District Co-Chair
• Nihal Yanık – TÜM BEL-SEN Union Chair
• Hatice Efe – Eğitim Sen Union No. 1 Education Secretary
• Bahar Uluğ – United Transportation Union (BTS) Women’s Secretary
• Emine Kaya – Member of the Yenişehir City Council
• Jale Okkan – TJA activist
• Sakine Karadeniz, Birsen Güneş, Hazal Yıldırım, Safiye Akdağ, Esma Efetürk, Yıldız Kardaş, Gülşen Özer and Evin Yelboğa.
It is no coincidence that these detentions took place after International Women’s Day and just before the Newroz celebrations. Citing these celebrations as a justification, the government criminalizes women who are fighting for women’s freedom and justice. Women’s organizations continue to resist despite all the pressures. They will not kneel in the face of this misogynistic political attitude but will continue their struggle for women’s freedom.