A delegation from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) delivered urgent messages regarding democratic backsliding and women’s political participation during the 46th session of the Council of Europe (CoE) Congress of Local and Regional Authorities held on 25 March 2025 in Strasbourg.
Representing the delegation were Çınar (Zarê Han), co-mayor and alternate member of the CoE Chamber of Regions Kader Uzun, former Van (Wan) Mayor Bedia Özgökçe, academic Dr Sarah Glynn, and DEM Party’s CoE representative Faik Yağızay. The group met with CoE rapporteurs David Eray and Bryony Rudkin, as well as delegations from Italy and Sweden, to discuss the situation in Turkey.
Uzun delivered a speech during the General Assembly’s segment on “Local and Regional Democracy”, criticising the practice of appointing state trustees in place of elected Kurdish mayors.
“Removing elected officials is not just an administrative issue—it constitutes a human rights violation,” she stated.
Highlighting the call of the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan for a democratic society, Uzun stressed that permanent peace in Turkey is only possible through recognition of Kurdish rights and local democratic structures.
Quoting Öcalan, she said: “The second century of the Republic can only be meaningful if crowned with democracy.”
Addressing the CoE’s agenda on “Violence Against Women in Politics”, Uzun linked gender-based violence to broader democratic decay. Referring to the DEM Party’s co-leadership model, in place since 2006 within the party and 2014 in local government, she noted:
“This model ensures women’s equal participation in politics, yet it remains officially unrecognised in Turkey, resulting in the dismissal of many elected co-mayors.”
Citing the UN’s 2021 report, Uzun stated that violence against women in politics is not only physical but also psychological and institutional. “Our co-leadership model is a direct response to this systemic exclusion,” she added.
Uzun concluded with a bold vision: “Without gender equality, there can be no true democracy. The 21st century will be the century in which women dismantle barriers in politics and lead democratic transformation. As the DEM Party, we will never give up this struggle.”
The delegation urged the Council of Europe to take tangible steps against Turkey’s continued imposition of trustees and barriers to women’s participation in governance. The full speech and session can be accessed via the Council of Europe’s official webcast archive.
