Deniz Poyraz commemorated at her grave on her 39th birthday

On this New Year’s Eve, Deniz Poyraz would have celebrated her 39th birthday had she not been murdered by a Turkish fascist in the attack on the HDP headquarters in Izmir in June. In her memory, family members, friends and acquaintances gathered at her grave at the cemetery in Buca district to remember her.

Among the visitors to Deniz Poyraz’s grave were her parents Fehime and Abdülilah Poyraz, activists from the Assembly of Peace Mothers and the initiative ‘Women Strong Together’, as well as members of the HDP provincial association, including co-chair Bedriye Tekgür.

Tekgür took the floor and paid tribute to the life and work of the Kurdish woman and recalled the trial of the perpetrator, Onur Gencer. Since Wednesday, the self-confessed ultra-nationalist has been on trial; the prosecution accuses him of murder with the element of insidiousness, trespassing and damaging the property of a political party and demands aggravated life imprisonment plus a further seven years in prison. The HDP suspects that the murderer did not act alone and is protected by an “invisible hand” from the state apparatus.

Moving speech by Fehime Poyraz

Fehime Poyraz expressed her gratitude for the tribute to her daughter and for the large attendance. At the same time, she paid tribute to the resistance of sick and political prisoners and the struggle of their relatives in view of the dramatic situation in Turkish prisons. She also remembered the prisoners who died in custody in recent weeks. “My beloved daughter, be reassured. The struggle for justice for you and your ideals is carried by your people and their women. Happy birthday to you.” After a prayer together, the mourners took leave of Deniz Poyraz’s grave.