HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan, spoke at the roundtable titled 'Women in Local Government' organised by the HDP Women's Assembly in Istanbul.

Buldan said: "HDP, which is the party of honor and conscience, is also a women's party. With the HDP, women take their place in the field of politics and defeats the man mentality. HDP is the opportunity for women to make politics, it is the area of women's struggle for freedom! HDP is the hope and chance for women to escape exploitation!"

Buldan added: "Our women representatives in local areas have established institutions to protect and promote women's rights and have come a long way in this direction.

However, with the declared state of emergency, all democratic institutions and organizations were closed down and with them the gains and efforts of women. In the provinces and districts 43 women centers had been established."

Buldan underlined that "the week of 25 November is the week of fighting violence against women. In our country where physical violence against women is very heavy. Political violence is also carried out against women and their gains. And this violence is done by the government itself by using state power. At the center of the attacks is the co-chair system which is seen as a threat to male system."

Buldan recalled that "in the last period, women co-mayors were dismissed from their charge and the majority of them were arrested. Only in the last period, 8 co-mayors of women municipalities were arrested."

Buldan said that "what is being done is a coup against women's politics in a public way! A coup against equal representation! The political choice and will of women was tried to be usurped by coup methods! Moreover, the policies and practices of the appointed trustees are enemies of the people, enemies of labor and enemies of history and nature."