İZMİR - Shouting the slogan "Jin, jiyan, azadi" at the Izmir Bar Association General Assembly and being subjected to racist attacks, ÖHD member Aryen Turan said: "The intolerance stemmed from the hatred of Kurds and misogyny and that they would not give up on this slogan."

 

Association for Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Member attorney Aryen Turan was subjected to racist attack while she was shouting the slogan of "Jin jiyan azadi" during her speech. Attorney Turan referred to the situation of the ill prisoners before Aysel Tuğluk and demanded their immediate release in her speech.

 

Turan, who also requested that the footage of the use of chemical weapons be investigated, also commemorated Deniz Poyraz and Jina Emini, who was murdered in Iran. While Turan said that they promised that they will protect their struggle for equality and freedom until the end and they said loudly 'Jin jiyan azadi' against the male-dominated system that oppresses women, voices were heard in the hall. A clash broke out between the lawyers of the Republican Lawyers Group and members of the ÖHD, who condemned the slogan, while some lawyers shouted "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal".

 

'NATIONALIST REPUBLICAN LAWYERS INSULTED THE DEMOCRACY

 

Speaking about the racist attack she was subjected to and taking the podium at the general assembly, Attorney Aryen Turan said: "I talked about the lawlessness in Turkey and the people's need for justice. The Şenyaşar family talked about the fact that Gülistan Doku could not be found for thousands of days and Aysel Tuğluk and the ill prisoners were driven to their deaths. I said that there are allegations of chemical weapons and this needs to be investigated. While I was saying this,  the nationalist Republican Lawyers Group started to insult me. The nationalist Republican Lawyers Group insulted democracy. I was continuing my speech, I said that the Deniz Poyraz case wanted to be kidnapped from the lawyers. Afterwards, I shouted the slogan 'Jin, jiyan, azadi' for Jina Amini and Deniz Poyraz. When I got off the stage after I shouted this slogan, people marched on me and insulted me.”

 

INTOLERANCE AGAINST THE KURDS

 

Noting that the attacking group included members of the AKP, MHP and Vatan Party, Turan said: " This was actually the state's reflex against the Kurds. The slogan "Jin, jiyan, azadi" resonates all over the world, the lawyers who are supposed to defend freedom of expression at the Izmir Bar Association General Assembly cannot tolerate this slogan that resonates all over the world. We think that this is done through the Kurds and misogyny. Fascism, unfortunately, does not listen to the profession. The lawyers there are people who should defend democracy, but they marched on us. They insulted us. If even lawyers are doing this, we can't think of the rest of society. We see a great intolerance against the Kurds and the women's struggle. It is a great intolerance to condemn especially to Deniz Poyraz. This shows that there is a special attacks towards Kurdish women politicians. For example, Leyla Güven was sentenced to 22 years just because of her speeches.”

 

'JİN, JİYAN, AZADİ'

 

Turan continued: "All this shows how intense fascism is against Kurdish women but whatever they do, the Kurdish women's movement is very strong, it cannot be defeated. From now on, we will continue to speak the words of Kurds and women everywhere. No matter what happens, we will not hold back from speaking our word and saying 'Jin, jiyan, azadi'."

 

MA / Tolga Guney