Police take 24 women into custody in Amed

Police in Amed (Diyarbakır) raided many houses this morning. Many women, including Sur Municipality co-mayor Filiz Buluttekin, who was replaced by a trustee, Rosa Women’s Association President Adalet Kaya, Fatma Yıldızhan, Amed Branch Secretary of the Health and Social Service Workers’ Union (SES), were taken into custody.

The reason for the detentions has not been officially told, but it is thought that the arrests were in connection with the activities organized by women on 25 November, international day against violence against women.

SES Amed Sube posted a tweet saying “many women, including our female secretary Fatma Yıldızhan, were detained this morning. Every time the government gets stuck, it criminalizes women’s struggles and seeks a way out. But remember that women will never kneel. Release all our friends immediately.”

Rosa Women’s Association also posted a tweet saying “our association president Adalet Kaya, our association executives Fatma Gültekin and Nevin Giresun were unlawfully detained in a raid on their house this morning. We will not bow to your misogynistic policies.”

The names of those taken into custody is as follows: 

Rosa Women’s Association President Adalet Kaya, Rosa Women’s Association director Nevin Oyman, Rosa Women’s Association member Fatma Gültekin, TJA Activist Zekiye Güler, HDP Yenişehir District Co-chair Remziye Sızıcı, Sur Municipality Co-Mayor Filiz Buluttekin, Diyarbakır SES Women’s Secretary Fatma Yıldızhan, ALL BEL-SEN Co-chairman Nihal Yanık, Eğitim Sen No. 1 Education Secretary, Hatice Efe, BTS Women’s Secretary Bahar Uluğ, Sakine Karadeniz, Birsen Güneş.