The Kurdish Women’s Movement in Europe (TJK-E) and Kurdish Women’s Office for Peace (CENI) condemns the arrests of dozens of activists in Amed (Diyarbakir) and Antep: An operation against democracy arrested.
“The misogynist policy of the fascist AKP/MHP regime surpasses itself daily. Women continue their struggle against violence, fascism and injustice without interruption. This struggle is scaring the AKP/MHP government. For this reason, another wave of attacks has been launched early in the morning”, the TJK-E statement says.
The TJK-E demands the immediate release of the arrested women and calls for solidarity: “We women will never accept the oppression and annihilation policy of this regime and will continue to intensify our struggle. Women have never given up the struggle. Even the latest wave of repression will not be able to stop our struggle.”
Dozens of women were arrested in Amed on Tuesday morning, including Ayşe Gökkan spokeswoman of the TJA (Tevgera Jinên Azad / Free Women’s Movement), journalist Ayşe Güney, seventy-year-old Peace Mother Hayriye Demir and Elif Haran, the co-chair of the prisoners’ aid organisation MED TUHAD-FED. The repression against the Kurdish women’s movement in Turkey has intensified since the criminalisation of the Rosa women’s association in May and is part of the extermination campaign against Kurdish civil society. The fact that the struggle of the Kurdish women causes fear to patriarchal rulers and triggers particular aggression has become clear at the latest since the victory over the terror militia ISIS.
An operation against democracy arrested
Kurdish Women’s Office for Peace (CENI) stated that “It is a bitter attempt to silence the voices of democracy and women’s rights. Since 2 months we have to deal with nearly 100 arrests of people who do not want to accept to live in a fascist state. In fascism it is better to live without democratic opposition”
” In Amed (Diyarbakir) and Dilok dozens of apartments were stormed by police this morning. In Dilok alone there were 33 arrests – they are all members of the HDP and DBP. In Amed, targeted action was taken against the women’s movement.
The objective of this operation is made clear by the arrests alone: the muzzling of strong female voices: Ayşe Gökkan, Ayşe Güney, Panayır Çelik, Elif Haran, Rabia Ataş, Halime Bayram, Zekiye Güler, Zeynep Süncak Kaya, Figen Ekti, Rozerin Çatak, Güneş Özel, Hatun Sur, Demet Özkaran, Ronda Bat, Emine Kaya, Dilan Yakut, Selma Metin.
As it belongs to every fascist state to criminalize democratic attitudes, Turkey shows us today once again in practice. If we look at the last two months alone, we can clearly see the tendency towards deliberate political genocide.
The anti-women policy of the men’s alliance AKP-MHP is increasing day by day. Every day, activists are affected by raids on their homes, which was the case again this morning. There is also evidence that the women activist Rojbin Cetin was sexually humiliated and tortured during her arrest. Such inhuman and unlawful behaviour is tolerated by the silence of the international political arena. To remain silent is only to share the guilt.
The anti-Kurdish and misogynist policy of the Turkish state is the pathetic last cry of a declining male- dominated and fascist government. And that is exactly why we will not give up, not only do we not show solidarity, but we actively stand up for our female comrades-in-arms in Turkey. We do not tolerate that central pioneers such as the members of the Rosa Women’s Association and the TJA are deliberately silenced behind bars and that policies that liberate women and strive for peace are deliberately destroyed.
That is why we demand both from the international institutions and from you that you raise your voice against these human rights violations. It is not a crime to stand up for democracy, but it is a crim against fascism to remain silent. “