DİYARBAKIR - DTK Co-chair Leyla Güven, who commented on Turkish attacks on Afrin and was taken into custody shortly after the interview , said standing up for Afrin was the human duty and added, “Kurdish women, young people and people of all ages will stand up for Afrin as we did for Kobanê.”

 

Women politicians commented on Turkish attacks on Afrin. Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair Leyla Güven, who was taken into custody shortly after giving the interview to us and has been held in Diyarbakır Police Headquarters, recalled the police block against their press statement and she said, “Fascism of the AKP came to the building of the HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party)”. Stating that a political party cannot make a statement on the stairs of its building is the peak point of fascism, Leyla said, “Then they propagandize of this and say ‘We interfere in Afrin. We seize their wills but no one stand up against this.’”

 

‘This is fascism’

 

Saying that the state carries out the operation by making black propaganda, Leyla added, “The state actually knows very well that the Kurds can stop the life in Turkey if they want as they did for Kobanê. For this reason, they organize fascism street by street. They try to prevent the Kurds from taking to the streets. A representative, mayors and elected people cannot make a statement outside of their party building. Everyone can easily call this as ‘Fascism’.

 

‘Afrin should be stood up for’

 

Stating that the Kurdish women, young people and people of all ages will stand up for Afrin as we did for Kobanê, Leyla said “They cannot bomb another country so freely. They don’t have such a right. The people under bombardment there are our siblings. There are women and children there. Everyone should know that. Standing up for Afrin should be the duty of everyone. We call on everyone to stand up for Afrin. We call on all democrats, patriotic and socialist people in Turkey to take a step and to stand up for Afrin. We condemn the attitude of other parties, particularly the attitude of the CHP (Republican People's Party).”

 

Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) Spokesperson Ayla Akat Ata reacted to the attacks. Noting that nothing going on in the Middle East is coincidence, Ayla recalled that the war in Syria has gone on since 2012.  Stating that the war in Syria has moved to a new phase, Ayla expressed that thinking the entry of Turkey to Afrin just for supporting FSA (Free Syrian Arm) is ‘purity’. “All opposition forces in Turkey come together over anti-Kurds. When the global powers’ Middle East policies are observed, we believe that the people of Turkey will heavily pay the price of Turkey’s steps. We are in a geographical region where we extremely feel the state of emergency. Curfews have been declared. Fundamental right to protest something unfortunately has been banned for the Kurdish people.” Lastly Ayla said they would speak out against fascism.