Ceylan Akça, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party MP for Diyarbakir (Amed), commented in an exclusive to Medya News on the Turkish government’s recent trustees appointments against Kurdish municipalities of Mardin (Mêrdîn), Batman (Êlih) and Halfeti (Xelfetî) in southeast Turkey during the early hours of Monday.
“Except for some short windows, Kurds have been governed by state-appointed trustees who have replaced their elected representatives for the past 8.5 years. Such a practice has never been seen since the foundation of modern democracies. It likens the trustees to colonial leaders in Africa and Asia,” she said, commenting on the challenges faced in Kurdish representation following the 2015 Turkish elections, in which the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) won over 13% of the vote.
“Kurds have been telling the world that they are deprived of basic rights, and the government was denying it despite damning evidence. The government’s message is clear: Kurds don’t exist, their rights don’t exist and what belongs to them is open for looting for government and its cronies,” she added.
Finally, Akça clarifies the position of the DEM Party. “Our message is also clear: Denial of rights is unacceptable. Kurds deserve recognition of their identity and rights. We will resist until this colonial mindset is fully cleared from these lands,” she said.
Akça, born in Diyarbakir (Amed), worked for several years as an adviser to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the DEM Party’s predecessor. In the March local elections, she was elected to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, representing Diyarbakır for the Green Left Party (YSP), a party that follows the same political line as the HDP. As a spokesperson for the DEM Party, she has called for the freedom of the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, arguing that he is the main interlocutor for a resolution of the Kurdish question.
Outside her role as a DEM Party member, Akça is holds an active role in the struggle for women’s rights and equality. In October last year, she attended a court hearing in solidarity with 25 activists from the Free Women’s Movement (TJA). Following the murder of eight-year-old Narin Güran in August, Akça condemned the violent repression of demonstrations demanding justice and an investigation into the crime. More recently, during a march organised by the TJA, she accused the Turkish state of deliberately inciting violence against women, and called for an appropriate response to this policy.
The DEM Party and the main opposition Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) have issued statements protesting against the trustee appointments. Street demonstrations continue, despite a police crackdown.
