Condemn imprisonment of MP Leyla Güven, 13 other women and 3-year old child

The ILPS Commission on Women (Commission 7) strongly condemns the arrest of 14 Kurdish women activists, including HDP MP Leyla Güven, in a spate of arrests and illegal detention in the last three weeks in Turkey. The International League of People’s Struggles, an international organization composed of peoples of the world fighting for justice, freedom, democracy, and genuine equality, sends its solidarity to the Kurdish people facing heightened repression from the hands of the Erdogan-led Turkish government.

According to the Kurdish Women’s Relation Office (REPAK) the 13 women were arrested at 4:00 in the morning on May 22. One of the arrested women was a mother who was sent to jail together with her 3-year old son on the basis of organizing a rally on March 8, International Women’s Day, calling for peace, among other preposterous cases. MP Leyla Güven was arrested on June 6 after being stripped of her MP (member of parliament) status. Leyla was already arrested and released last year and went on hunger strike for more than 100 days.

This spate of arrests and illegal detention by the Turkish government is nothing but a crackdown on democratic women’s movement and the Kurdish movement to sabotage victories that have been gained in the region to attain peace and recognition of the Kurdish people. Criminalization of peaceful demonstrations and crackdown on opposition are nothing but desperate attempts of macho-fascist, militarist and ultra-right regimes that attempt to suppress the growing discontent and dissent by the poor and marginalized people against poverty, fascism, casteism, and discrimination.

Like many women in Brazil, India, the Philippines, and in imperialist countries like China and the United States, Kurdish women cannot just watch passively while their people are being slaughtered to silence by a repressive regime. While they may be in varied conditions and fighting different wars with diverse strategies, women around the world share the same goal: to vanquish fascism anchored on neo-liberal capitalist agenda and to create a just and peaceful world and genuine equality for women.

We send our solidarity to the women of Kurdistan and call all women of the world to support their fight for recognition and self determination. We urge the Erdogan government to stop its illegal arrests and detention of Kurdish leaders and activists. We call the Turkish government to free Leyla Güven and the rest of the women arrested.

Long live international solidarity!
Free all political prisoners!
Jin, jiyan, azadi!