Nazlıcan Nujin Yıldız

 

IZMIR - Reacting against the appointment of trustees to 3 municipalities under DEM Party administration, women stated that the appointment of trustees is the continuation of the coup d'état 8 years ago and that the appointment of trustees is the result of the state's defeat. 

 

With the instruction of the Ministry of Interior, trustees were appointed to Mêrdîn Metropolitan, Êlih and Xelfetî municipalities under the administration of Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). 

 

People across Kurdistan and Turkey took to the streets to react against this decision to ignore the will of the people by appointing trustees. Politicians, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and women's associations in Izmir stated that it was not a coincidence that the appointment of trustees coincided with the anniversary of the November 4 coup against the People's Democratic Party (HDP) MPs.

 

‘We will not leave our will in the hands of this state’

 

Expressing that they have always spoken out against all unlawfulness, Peace Mother Sultan Yağmekan stated that the Kurdish people have won the municipalities by claiming their will every time. 

 

Sultan Yağmekan said that the government does not accept those who do not belong to them and added, ‘We are human beings too, we have rights too. They did not give us our municipalities for good, we won these municipalities with our own will. No matter how many trustees they appoint, they cannot take the municipalities. 

 

They cannot tolerate us. And we say; with our power, with our people, we will not allow the trustees no matter what. They tell us ‘we will destroy you’. May they be destroyed! Our people are standing, we will not leave our municipalities and our will in the hands of this state. We will always be standing."

 

‘The hand extended is not sincere’

 

DEM Party Izmir Women's Assembly member Aysel Önen emphasised that the hand extended by AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan to Kurds is not sincere. Stating that they recognise the hand extended by the President from the usurpation of will in Wan and Colemêrg, Aysel Önen said, "It is not a coincidence that the trustee came to Batman. Because Batman is the place where women's will emerged in the strongest way. Gülistan is a friend of ours who received the highest votes across Turkey and while Batman was spoken about suicide in the past, today it is a province that is spoken about with a woman winning the co-presidency and the strongest emergence of women's will. Erdoğan was not going to leave this in vain. Mardin is also a place that symbolises multiculturalism, multilingualism and peace. In this sense, his appointment to Mardin is not a coincidence."

 

‘We do not accept the attacks’

 

Zeliha Danyeli, Chairperson of Education and Science Workers' Union  Branch No 2, stated that trustees were appointed to five municipalities within five months and said that the trustees usurped the will of the people. Stating that the AKP-MHP government continues its oppression with antidemocratic practices, Zeliha Danyeli said, "We will continue our struggle against the trusteeship because trusteeship is a blow to democracy, a blow to the will of the people. They are policies pursued especially to further develop their own rentier system. Our struggle against the trusteeship will continue. We do not accept these attacks. We invite all people to fight against the attack on the will of the people."

 

 ‘It is not a coincidence that the trusteeship coincided with 4 November’

 

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Assembly member Gönül Yalçın reminded that the AKP President had recently extended his hand to the Kurdish people, but immediately afterwards a trustee was appointed to Esenyurt Municipality. She stated that this appointment signalled that the will of the municipalities would be seized. Emphasising that the will of the people was usurped again with the appointment of trustees in three more cities, Gönül Yalçın said, "It is not a coincidence that these appointments coincide with 4 November; we know this well. We will continue to defend free will against this usurpation of the people's will."

 

‘We will defend free will against the coup’

 

DEM Party Buca district executive Sibel Kurul also stated that a hand was extended to the Kurds and then the will of the Kurdish people was usurped. Underlining that there is an ulterior motive in the hand extended to the Kurds, Sibel Kurul reminded the coup that took place on 4 November 2016. Sibel said, "If we had stood up then, if we had been the majority, they would not have found the courage. If all parties were united, none of this would have happened. We will defend free will against the coup."