İSTANBUL - Condemning Semra Güzel's arrest, Political party representatives said: "Semra Güzel has shown that Kurds will not bow down."

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP, Semra Güzel, whose legislative immunity was lifted based on two police investigation reports prepared against her as a result of Güzel being targeted by the government, was detained in Istanbul on September 2. Güzel, who was taken to the Istanbul Courthouse from the Istanbul Police Department handcuffed behind her back, was subjected to the mistreatment of the police who forced her head down while taking her to the police car. Güzel, who did not bow down despite the police forcing her head down, was arrested on the allegation of "being a member of a terrorist organisation" by the court on September 3.

 

AKP'S POLICY ON WOMEN

 

Women who are political party representatives condemned the practices against Semra Güzel and her arrest. Stating that Semra Güzel is a member of parliament elected by the votes of the Kurdish people, Socialist Women's Councils (SKM) Spokesperson Çiçek Otlu said: "The lifting of the immunity of the MPs elected by the will of the people is an issue that can only be lifted with the will of the people. That's why the AKP fascist movement shows its policy not only towards the Kurdish nation, but also towards the Kurdish women's movement in the person of Güzel.”

 

Çiçek Otlu

 

'SHE SHOWED THAT SHE WOULD NOT BOW DOWN'

 

Stating that what was done to Güzel was a "policy of submission" against Kurdish women and the Kurdish people, Otlu said: "The detentions and arrests were aimed at forcing the Kurdish people to submit. These were also seen in the person of Semra Güzel. AKP's male-dominated policies are misogynistic policies. Kurdish women, the women's movement and the Kurdish nation have shown that they will not bow down.”

 

KURDS WILL NOT SURRENDER

 

Condemning the attempts to "force Güzel's head down", Otlu said: "This is one of the despicable policies of the AKP regime. The women's movement and the Kurdish movement will certainly not bow to it and will not submit. We will definitely fight against these male-dominated hostile policies against the Kurdish people, and practices against our dead."

 

Stating that democracy defenders should not remain silent, Otlu said: "Semra Güzel may have been handcuffed behind the back but we need to say that the will of the people and the freedom struggle of the Kurdish people can't be handcuffed. We have to fight for it.”

 

MULTIPLE WAR POLICIES

 

Stating that what was done to Güzel was not a coincidence or an isolated incident, Social Freedom Party (TOP) Spokesperson Perihan Koca said: “Fascism should be considered as a step to the institutionalisation of it. A multiple war policy has been maintained for a long time over hostility towards Kurds."

 

Perihan Koca

 

'WE MUST RAISE OUR VOICES EVEN MORE'

 

Evaluating what happened to Güzel as inhumane treatment, Cansel Aslan, a member of the Socialist Re-establishment Party (SYKP) Central Executive Board (MYK) said: “Semra Güzel is the will of the people. Violence against her is a threat to women, defenders of peace and freedom. Neither women nor defenders of peace and freedom will bow down to the oppression and unlawfulness of the state. They decided swiftly. It is proof that the government, which drags the country into chaos and crises, has no solutions to problems of the country. Now is the time to fight and raise our voices even more. Everyone in favor of labor, freedom and peace, especially women, should raise their voices and object to this treatment."