The detention of 15 women, including politicians, during the political genocide operations carried out simultaneously in Batman yesterday was protested in the cities of Mardin, Batman and Urfa.

MARDIN

Woman protestors made a statement outside the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Provincial Organization office in Mardin. They displayed a banner that read "We will destroy fascism with the will and struggle of women". Making the statement, TJA Mardin Spokesperson Eylem Amak, who read out the statement, said that those individuals who were detained yesterday are activists of the women's struggle. “The government aims to eliminate women from democratic politics, to destroy women's gains, to keep women at home with the help of the pro-government judiciary. We, women, give the best response to all these arrests, misogyny and attacks by expanding our organized struggle. These policies of intimidation didn't work in the past and they never will work in the future.”

“We will continue to resist and increase the struggle against the government. We will continue to work to build a world where women are emancipated. Fear women. Because we, women, are the ones who will change the ruling fascist order and you will lose,” Amak said.

BATMAN

The HDP Batman Provincial Organization also organized a protest in front of the party building. HDP Batman Deputy Necdet İpekyüz, Free Women's Movement (Tevgerê Jinên Azad-TJA), Peace Mothers Assembly, the party’s provincial and district administrators, and relatives of the detained women participated in the protest.

HDP Provincial Co-Chair Hürriyet Kaytar stated that the AKP-MHP government has increased crack down on the opposition as it is about to lose power. “These attacks against our administrators, our elected officials, and especially against women who are the strongest activists of democratic politics are a reflection of government’s fear.”

“We will oppose all these policies and attacks by getting stronger through women's solidarity. The male-state violence will not silence women and prevent our leading role in social change. We will continue to raise our hopes under the leadership of women,” Kaytar said.

“The arrests in Batman are a political genocide. Our detained friends are the voice of women's struggle. We expect our female friends to be released immediately. The AKP-MHP government will go. Their end is coming,” HDP deputy Necdet İpekyüz said.

After the speeches, the protestor chanted the slogans "Jin jiyan azadi" and "Government crackdown cannot intimidate us".

URFA

In Urfa, TJA activists protested the detention of 15 women in front of the HDP Provincial Office. HDP Urfa Provincial Organization Co-Chair Çiğdem Karakeçili revealed that the women were subjected to physical and psychological violence during the house raids.

“Women who carry out democratic activities in the public sphere are being targeted. The main reason for these attacks is the fear of women,” Karakeçili said

“Despite these oppressive policies of the government, women advocate for peace, justice, freedom and equality. We urge the whole society to fight together in order to protect our language, identity, lifestyles, preferences, nature, future of our children, our labour, our differences, peace and democracy,” Karakeçili added.