DİYARBAKIR-96 DBP-held municipalities have been converted into police stations and their women co-mayors’ works have been stopped one by one. 35 women co-mayors have been jailed since the trustees were appointed to the municipality and 28 women co-mayors are still behind bars.

 

The seized municipalities are being governed by governors and district governors. Co-mayors and municipal council members, who were elected by the people, have been arrested or dismissed from their duties. 70 co-mayors are still behind bars and 28 of 70 co-mayors are women.

 

Usurpation mindset of appointed trustees against women’s gains

 

The appointed trustees, who claimed they would provide service by ensuring ‘security’ in the region, first attacked the women’s institution within the scope of their “Great security” project. They wanted to finish women’s gains by closing down women’s centers, women's shelter houses and dismissing the employees working for Department of Women's Policies of the municipalities.     Within this scope, the works on struggle with all kinds of violence against women conducted by 43 women's centers affiliated to DBP municipalities and all kinds of services given to women became the target of the appointed trustees. They reveal the mindset of the AKP against women by taking these decisions.

 

Women’s institutions were made nonfunctional one by one

 

The trustees appointed to municipalities in Diyarbakır closed down women’s institutions or made them nonfunctional. The content of some centers were changed and they have been used for different purposes.

 

The women’s institutions that are made nonfunctional are as follows;

 

*Chair of the Department of Women's Policies of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality was dismissed from her duty and the works of the department was stopped. A man was appointed to the department and tied to Ministry of Family and Social Policies.

 

* Violence Hotline and First Aid Station services were stopped. The activities of DİKASUM were passivized. Dormitory for girls built for 227 students was evacuated and it has been used as guesthouse for patient relatives.

 

*As employees of the Department of Women's Policies affiliated to Kayapınar Municipality were dismissed from their duties by statutory decree no. 677, the employees of Ceren Women’s Center were dismissed and the activities of the center were stopped.

 

*Employees of the Directorate of Women’s Policies of Sur Municipality were dismissed from their duties by statutory decree no. 677 and it was abolished. Amida Women’s Consultancy Center carrying out projects towards women and children was also closed down

 

* The appointed trustee dismissed the employees of Roza Women’s Center affiliated to Yenişehir Municipality and the activities of the center were stopped.

 

*Maya Women’s Center affiliated to Silvan Municipality was closed down and the personnel working at the center were dismissed.

 

* Nujiyan Women’s Consultancy Center affiliated to Lice Municipality and Aziz Ferdi Culture Center were closed down by the appointed trustee.

 

*Chairperson of the Directorate of Women’s Policies of Çınar Municipality was dismissed from her duty and the personnel working at the Jinwar Women’s Center were dismissed from their duties.

 

*Personnel working for the Directorate of Women’s Policies of Ergani Municipality were dismissed from their duties. The works of the center were stopped.

 

*Zozan Eren Women’s Consultancy Center ffiliated to Kulp Municipality was closed down and the personnel working at the center were dismissed.

 

Notes: OHAL: State of Emergency; KHK: Statutory Decree; Trustees: The State Commissioners