The action the HDP Ankara Women’s Assembly wished to hold under the slogan “Co-mayoralty is our purple line” came under police attack. Ten women were arrested at the action at which HDP Siirt Parliamentarian Meral Danış Beştaş was beaten up.
HDP women, saying “Co-mayoralty is our purple line” in response to the trustees appointed on 19 August to the Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP)-controlled Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van metropolitan municipalities, held synchronized actions in five provinces today.
As one of these, the HDP Ankara Women’s Assembly wished to stage a “Co-mayoralty is our purple line” march to Tunalı Hilmi Street with the participation of HDP Siirt Parliamentarian Meral Danış Beştaş to draw attention to the trustees appointed to municipalities and gynocides. The women, who had assembled in Kuğulu Park prior to the march, were surrounded by the rapid reaction force and the attack was staged before the action had started. Around ten women were arrested at the conclusion of the police attack. The police, who tore up “Co-mayoralty is our purple line” placards during the arrests, also beat up Beştaş and HDP Ankara Provincial Co-Chair Zeyno Bayramoğlu.
For her part, Beştaş commented in reaction to the police attack, “You are implementing fascism. You are carrying out torture in the middle of the street. The Vatan Party comes and stages actions. No action the ruling party does not support can be held. The AKP will organize actions and it will also create civil society. It will both hold power and be the opposition. The making of a press statement on women’s rights is stopped in the heart of Ankara. They are afraid of women. Their greatest fear is women. But they will see that women will bring their rule toppling down.”
Some of the women arrested in the action were Zeyno Bayramoğlu, Aslı Bayramoğlu, Bedriye Irmak, Emine Kaya, Betül Koca, Aslı Viyan Saraç, Birsen Kaya and Sibel Polat. (Ankara/MA)
The HDP Izmir Provincial Organization and members held a press statement in opposition to gynocides and the trustee coup under police blockade in front of the Student Selection and Placement Centre Alsancak building with the participation of HDP Izmir Parliamentarian Serpil Kemalbay and Diyarbakır Parliamentarian Semra Güzel
With the police denying permission for the crowd that had assembled in front of the Student Selection and Placement Centre to make a press statement, they said they would only permit the members of parliament to make a statement away from the crowd. The parliamentarians and women voiced their outrage at the police’s attempt, having taken the parliamentarians away from the crowd and placing them under blockade, to hinder them by saying the statement was against the law and stating, “You can go to Diyarbakır and seek women’s rights. You have no right to make a hullabaloo here and work people up. Can you protect mothers’ rights in Diyarbakır? Have you managed to stand up for the will of women there?” The women frequently chanted the slogan, “Co-mayoralty is our purple line”
First, HDP Izmir Member of Parliament Serpil Kemalbay, noting that the co-mayoralty system was included in the political parties law, said, “Women have their say in every area of life under the co-mayoralty system and equal representation system. Previously, 103 of our municipalities have pursued special policies regarding violence against women because we have pursued a women’s policy and set up a women’s directorate desk at every local authority. Efforts of all kinds have been made through conducting initiatives that protect women against violence, try to eliminate sexism and inequality and achieve this and for making women economically stronger.”
Stating that the people expressed its anti-trustee will at the last local elections, Kemalbay commented, “Enough was said to AKP-MHP fascism. There was a vote to halt them and oust them from power but our people’s, women’s and young people’s right to vote and stand for election was usurped with the trustee coup staged against our three large cities on 19 August. On what grounds was this done? As the AKP-MHP block could find no grounds, a smear campaign was started against our party. On looking at its contents, we see there is an endeavour to criminalize the co-mayoralty system as if it were a crime.”
Saying, “We argue for a working life that defends the co-mayoralty system, defends Turkey being a participatory, free and democratic society, defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem and in which wage earners and workers can live like humans,” Kemalbay rounded up by saying, “We want justice for all; that’s why we’re here. It also clearly speaks volumes that they have spirited us away and isolated us from our people in this way. Co-mayoralty is our purple line as the HDP and we will continue to raise our voices in all places as the women’s assemblies. Women will once more participate in local authorities and gynocides, poverty and unemployment will change.”
HDP Diyarbakır Member of Parliament Semra Güzel commenced by saying, “However much they place a barricade between us and our women, we know that the hearts of our women friends there are with us. I’ve brought you the greetings of the people of Diyarbakır.” Indicating that the will of the Kurdish people and the democracy-seeking peoples had been usurped, Güzel commented, “They usurped it without citing any grounds because they have no grounds. They cannot even have that which they have cited as grounds confirmed because they engage in their politics with aspersions. Because we laid bare all the plunder they conducted over two and a half years. We displayed the gifts they received and the gold-plated baths before all of your eyes. Why did you make those baths? You have no reply. Wash yourselves as much as you like you cannot get clean because this dirt has become ingrained in you, ingrained down to the bones. If going to the polls and voting is a crime, six and a half million HDP supporters committed a crime.”
Recalling that the trustees appointed in 2016 first intervened against women’s rights, Güzel said, “Yes, violence against women is increasing and gynocides are increasing. Today, we are defending the co-mayoralty system here. Co-mayoralty is the name of equal representation. It was approved by parliament in 2013. The co-mayoralty system is the path leading to democracy. It is our attainment for women. Single us out as much as you like, we’ll continue to defend the co-mayoralty system and our women’s rights.” Güzel finally stated that women will continue to struggle in all areas. (İzmir/EVRENSEL)
(Translated by Tim DRAYTON)
Bülent Falakaoğlu
Hakkı Özdal
