Emine Şenyaşar, a Kurdish mother who has been seeking justice for the murder of her husband and two of her sons, has declared her support for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance.
Şenyaşar, who lost the three members of her family in the Suruç district of Şanlıurfa, made her announcement on Saturday, ahead of the second round of the presidential elections scheduled for 28 May.
The Şenyaşar family shared a quote on their Twitter account from Kılıçdaroğlu’s recent appearance on BaBaLa TV, where he talked passionately of Emine Şenyaşar’s struggle for justice. In response to the speech, Şenyaşar expressed her intention to cast her vote for Kılıçdaroğlu, addressing him affectionately as “Pîro” (“wise person” or “elder” in Kurdish).
On 14 June 2018, Emine Şenyaşar’s husband and two of her sons fell victim to a brutal attack perpetrated by the bodyguards and relatives of Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız. Despite facing numerous challenges and hurdles in her quest for justice, Şenyaşar has remained steadfast in her pursuit, advocating for accountability and the recognition of her family’s suffering.
Kılıçdaroğlu, during his appearance on BaBaLa TV’s “Mevzular Açık Mikrofon” (Issues, Open Mic) programme on 24 May, spoke passionately about Emine Şenyaşar’s struggle, highlighting the failures of the justice system in addressing her case. He recounted how he personally met with Şenyaşar and urged his lawyer friends to support her cause. Kılıçdaroğlu emphasised the need for collective action to combat such injustices, stressing that the pain and love of a mother for her child should transcend political affiliations.
