On 22 May the Turkish state took 18 people into custody, including some executives of the Rosa Women's Association in Amed-based police operations. 12 of the detained people were remanded in custody.

Kongra Star released a written statement on the arrest campaign against Kurdish women, which reads as follows:

"The fascist regime of AKP-MHP has subjected the whole society and population of Turkey and North Kurdistan to genocide. The practices of the fascist regime don‘t have any limits. It violates all moral and human values through its fascist practices. The most meaningful and fundamental values that sustain society are desecrated by them, just as they desecrated the graves of the children of the Kurdish people, stole the bones of the dead and kicked them. As they rape children, women and all values of society.

It put a shadow over the hope and enlightenment of the people. Children, women, young and old, all generations of society have remained breathless and hopeless. Their attempts and attacks against the Kurds have had devastating effects. Because it is the Kurds who do not bend. The Kurds are those who have been fighting for hundreds of years for freedom, democracy and equality in Turkey. That is why they want to silence the Kurds and break their will. With their brutal and immoral attacks, they want to destroy them. But we see that they are not able to do so. Those who are not silent today in the shadow of the extremist Turkish fascism and continue to resist are Kurds. They also know that they cannot win as long as the Kurds are not defeated.

Targeted and planned arrests of mayors as well as politicians are being carried out and any opposition members in Turkey are being persecuted with a strong repression. The recent wave of arrests of several members of the Rosa organisation and the arrest of politicians is part of this. Rosa is an organisation that struggles against violations of women’s rights and violence against women. It was a place that women trusted and where they could breathe a sigh of relief. They struggled for the rights and freedom of women. Not least, the fascist regime of the AKP-MHP prepared measures to legalise child marriage to girls. We know that the struggle of Kurdish women has brought many changes in society and system so far.

Their leading role in the political and social sphere is obvious and they strengthen the hope for freedom both among women and in the Kurdish society. That is why the fascist regime targeted women from the very beginning. From murder to arrest to rape, all methods were used and legitimised to defeat them. We know, however, that Kurdish women cannot be silenced, intimidated and deprived of their demand for freedom by arrest and murder. The fascist state imprisons thousands, but thousands more are resisting.

As women’s movement Kongra Star we condemn the actions of the fascist regime against the activists in North Kurdistan and we reaffirm our solidarity with the women.

We call on all women to show their solidarity and support with the struggling Kurdish women, who have achieved a strong will, organisation and personality with their struggle so far: Don’t be silenced in the face of these fascist and malicious practices. Stand up for your institutions, values and existence."